Symphony of Rebirth
by EnchantedDreamweaver
Summary: 'Rebirth cannot happen, not before destruction' 'The Great Flood, that Noah once brought upon earth, will cleanse and purge it from its sin' 'I'm sorry... but to be a savior, I must be a destroyer. There isn't any other way.'
1. Prelude: Meetings and Partings

First Symphony: Of Meetings and Partings

Warnings: Off-screen character death, mentions of suicide, and uhm… Lero torture? Is that a legitimate warning?

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><p>The Fourteenth Noah, the Musician, rumored to be the single most destructive Noah in existence. The one who sings the song of both Light and Dark, God's Chosen Child.<p>

Unlike the rest of the Noah Clan, however, the genes and memories of the Fourteenth runs solely within the blood of the Walker family line, though they weren't always known by that name. The Fourteenth never completely awakens, waiting for the True Apostle of the Fourteenth to claim the mantle. Whenever its host is in danger, the Fourteenth stirs within its slumber deep in their soul, allowing for a partial awakening to use a minute fraction of the Fourteenth's true power. Only when the True Apostle of the Fourteenth is born, then the Fourteenth Noah will fully awaken and perform the task God has given to him.

When the Fourteenth Noah awakens, then it is only a matter of time until the Great Flood returns to purge the Earth, and not even the Heart of Innocence can stop it.

That is the will of Destiny.

SYMPHONY OF REBIRTH

The night was dark and overcast, the sky covered with storm clouds. Snow covered the ground like a white blanket, reflecting the light from the full moon in the heavens. Footsteps echoed through the abandoned ghost town as a frail, petite six year old ran as fast as she could. She huffed and puffed as her stout little legs carried her tired body dutifully, even though she was fatigued.

Weary and clumsy, it was only a matter of time that the girl tripped over a chunk of rock and fell face-first to the ground. Her hair splayed around her like a pool of molten quicksilver. She let out a small whimper and, for the first time during the turmoils she faced in the last day, she cried.

"D-daddy… daddy…" the little girl whimpered. She was hurt… and she felt so, so tired. She had been running for hours without any food at all. Again she made a whimper and curled up, trying to ignore the pain that came from her left hand. She stared at the deformed limb distastefully before looking away in disgust. She _hated _her arm, hated the pitiful, pathetic mockery of what it should be. But her father had said that it was beautiful, that it was a precious thing. And she trusted her father.

'_Run, my daughter, run! Run, and don't look back!'_

'_Daddy!'_

Small fists clenched, grasping the snow that was slowly falling once more. The little girl hesitantly got up from her position and shakily stood on her looked down, surprised to see the red blood staining the snow. She had skinned her knee quite badly and it was bleeding. Something in her throat hitched and she hastily looked away.

_Blood… there was so much blood, everywhere._

_Why wasn't her mama waking up? Why was she ignoring her?_

_The building was on fire. She screamed and struggled in her father's hug. Why wouldn't he let her go? Mama was still inside! Save her… she had to save her!_

'_Hush, hush, little one, don't cry. We'll see her again, someday. This was inevitable.'_

'_After all, she was just… human.'_

_Why? Why? So many questions and yet, so few answers._

She shook her head to clear her mind and instantly regretted it. Dizziness took over and when it wore off she found herself on her knees. She almost gave up, then. Her head hurt, her entire body hurt, and she hardly had any energy left to crawl, much less walk.

But she could not, she _would not _surrender. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. She got up slowly, somehow summoning enough strength to do so, and walked forward.

"_Walk forward. Walk to your future. Don't stop. Never look back. When you fall down, get back up. That is the path of a Walker, our strength and our honor code."_

Yes… she, Ellen Walker, would continue to walk forward no matter what it took.

-At the same time, hundreds of miles away-

'_I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, everyone. Please, forgive me for doing this. But I have no other choice.'_

Neah Allen Walker, the Fourteenth Noah, raised his hands to deliver his attack. Dark Matter pulsed and gathered around him, forming an ebony violin in his hands. The other Noahs could only stare in horror as Neah begin his ultimate, and final attack.

"Prelude… to Ruin."

* * *

><p>There were many ways that one viewed fate and causality. Some chose to believe in Free Will, the belief that people had the right and the ability to choose their own path, and not some cosmic entity or a philosophical concept called 'Destiny'. Others had a more pessimistic view, that humans were nothing more than string-controlled puppets in a cosmic version of a puppet show. They believed that one had no choice but to follow the path that had been set for them since birth.<p>

Mana Walker didn't believe in the existence of Destiny. No, Mana _knew _that destiny existed, and that some people were bound (cursed) to follow its path forevermore. He _knew _that he was one of those 'puppets' and he would never find a way to cut the strings because then he would fall, a broken and inert puppet. He knew what happened to broken puppets. They were destroyed. Disposed of, like a child throwing away a broken toy.

So Mana Walker had no choice but follow whatever path had been set for him and walk on. That was what he and Neah promised their parents, the creed of the Walker clan: Keep on walking no matter what, don't ever look back, and strive for the future. No matter how difficult and fraught with perils his path was… Mana would continue walking.

He never hated Fate more than when he found a little girl, lying face down on his doorstep. His old heart clenched with worry and Mana hurriedly brought her inside, stripping away her damp and cold clothing to replace it with warmer, more season-appropriate ones. Once he had placed her on the bed, covered with several blankets and a hot water bottle, he brushed away her silver hair to look at her face.

Ellen. His niece. In all honesty he should have recognized her at first sight. Very few people had her shade of white hair at such a young age, afterall. As he stared at her face he was reminded of Neah. Ellen did greatly resemble her father, after all. He stroked her hair absent-mindedly, reminiscing of the old times before their heritage was made known. Before The Cycle had begun its course. Before Neah became the Fourteenth Noah. He also remembered his talk with Neah so long ago, when the world began to fall apart around them.

"_Mana, my dear brother. I have a favor to ask of you." His brother was impeccably dressed, as always. In his arms he held his newborn daughter._

"_What is it, Neah?"_

"_In the near future… when I can no longer be with Ellen, please… take care of her. Become her father and treat her like you would your own daughter. Please, elder brother…"_

" '_When', Neah? Not 'if'?"_

"_Some things are unavoidable, Mana. You know that as well as I do. But when the time comes, please… I beg of you, do everything you can, to protect her. Anything, everything in your power. She is important, for me and for the future of our world." Neah all but groveled. His face bore a pleading expression, hugging on to his firstborn tightly._

"_Of course Neah. Don't be stupid. What kind of brother would I be if I refused to do something like that for you?" Mana paused, before adding quietly, "I guess… this means, that the Cycle has began?"_

_Neah smiled at Mana sadly. "The Cycle has always existed, Mana, since the birth of Humanity. But yes, it is nearing the completion. Soon, we will come full circle."_

"Such a big burden, for one so young…" Mana's fingers gently caressed Ellen's silver hair. "How could you put such a burden on your own daughter, Neah? Stupid little brother. You could have asked for help, you could have prevented this tragedy. But you didn't. All because of fate."

Mana was about to get up and brew himself a hot, strong cup of coffee when Ellen began to stir. Shivers ran through her small body like someone was electrocuting her without mercy. Mana went still, watching without being able to help. He'd seen Neah going through a similar process. Just like that time, Mana wasn't able to do anything to sooth her pain. He watched as Ellen coughed harshly several times and opened her silver eyes. But now there was a sliver of gold in her irises. Almost invisible, but if you knew what you were looking for it was there.

"U-uncle Ma-na?" she whispered softly. "Uncle Mana…" Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. Mana felt his heart wrench with grief at the utterly _broken _look in her eyes.

"Hush, everything's alright, child," Mana cooed. "Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine," he lied to her, sweetening the harsh truth.

"N-no. No." Ellen wasn't fooled. "Not fine. Not _fine._" She began to tear up and cry. "Everything's _not _fine."

"Why do you say so, Ellen?" Mana sat down beside Ellen and held her hand. Much to his dismay, her wrist was thin and stick-like, and her skin was incredibly cold. "Can you tell me what happened, Ellen?" Inwardly he wondered how long Ellen had spent her time on the streets. It had been months since his last conversation with Neah and there wasn't any news from him since.

"I don't- I don't-" Ellen stuttered, shaking her head vigorously. Mana found himself wrapping his arms around her and cooing soft words of reassurance.

"Hush, child, it's alright, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready to." Crystal tears flowed from Ellen's eyes as Mana awkwardly hugged her thin figure and she cried herself to sleep. Mana himself spent almost an hour gently rocking Ellen until she finally stopped crying altogether.

Ellen didn't wake up until noon the next day. She opened her eyes to the faint smell of spices and the sound of sizzling. Mana was in the kitchen, making fried chicken for their lunch. Ellen sat up and swung her legs to the side of the bed. As she placed her feet on the floor, something wet and cold brushed against her calves. She let out a yelp and tumbled out of bed.

"Gyaah!" she squeaked. Her eyes searched around in a frenzy, looking for the culprit. A low whine was heard from under the bed. Ellen peeked down to see a small, grey furred puppy looking innocently at her. She blinked. Then,

"KAWAII!" Ellen squealed. The dog yelped and scurried away from her, trembling at the farmost corner under the bed. Ellen pouted in disappointment. A chuckle was heard from behind her.

"I see, so you've met Allen," Mana said. Ellen let out yet another squeak and turned around, her eyes wide as coins.

"U-uncle Mana!" she stuttered. Her face was a mix of nervousness, happiness, and sadness.

"Don't worry. Allen's just really shy around new people. He'll warm up to you soon enough." Mana smiled at Ellen. "Allen! Here, boy!"

The six year old frowned. "…You named a dog after Daddy?" she asked incredulously.

"Heh, yes. His fur reminds me of your father's grey eyes," Mana said with a smile. He turned towards Ellen, looking into her bluish silver eyes. "You, on the other hand… your eyes have your mother's blue in them."

Ellen flinched, looking away. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "M- mama…" she said mournfully.

_Great, Mana. Just great. You just had to bring up that, didn't you? Neah always said that you're no good with people, especially children._

He really wanted to cheer her up, but he didn't know what to say. Awkwardly, he patted the top of her head, fingering her long silvery white hair. Ellen's shoulders shook violently as she tried to hold back her tears and carelessly batted away Mana's hand.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed angrily. "I'm a monster, can't you see? Because of me… because of me, Mama… I…" she panted, her face flushed from emotions. "It's all my fault. Mine. Mine." Ellen curled up into a fetal position. For once, Mana was thankful that his parents prefered quiet and isolation, and bought a cottage far from civilization. No one was there to hear Ellen's screaming. Eventually, Ellen managed to calm herself down, though she was still gasping for breath. Mana once again found himself at a lost so as to what he was supposed to do.

'_Damn, this is exactly why I never wanted any children… well, that and the fact that I'm no good with women anyway. Or people in general.' _Mana sighed. "It's alright. It's alright. Please, don't cry… Everything's going to be fine… hopefully." She wasn't crying anymore, so that was a good thing, right? Mana wasn't exactly the world's expert on relationships, especially with children. Especially not recently orphaned, superpowered children. "Umm, err, there, there?" Gah, he hated dealing with little girls. Give him a clown suit and makeup any day. Though he would gladly do everything for his niece, he just wasn't father-material. Or guardian-material, for that matter.

"I'm sorry," little Ellen hiccuped, wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry, Ma-na… I won't do that again. E-everything's gonna be alright, right? You won't leave me, right?" she begged.

"Of course I won't," Mana said, and despite himself he felt rather happy. Maybe their relationship wouldn't be a complete mess, after all. And maybe, just maybe, he could make this work.

* * *

><p>Mana stared at the sleeping form of his niece, her face still covered with tears. Her clothes and her hair wa stained red with blood. Her left hand lied at her side, its form a grotesque red color. There was no sign that it had previously changed into a monstrous, Akuma-destroying claw.<p>

"I'm so sorry, Ellen. But this is for the best."

Only the stars were witnesses as Mana Walker did something he would never be able to forgive himself for. Ellen's features changed to become rougher and more masculine, her hair turning into a shade of brown so different from her original platinum.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Forgive me, Ellen, Neah."

* * *

><p>Contrary to popular belief, the night after Mana's death was not Ellen's first meeting with the Millennium Earl, nor would it be the last.<p>

The first time Ellen met the Millennium Earl was during a chilly winter night, not long before her seventh birthday. Not long before her parents passed away. Come to think of it, it probably wasn't a coincidence. The Millennium Earl was just that much of a manipulative bastard. Her family was visiting a friend of theirs and she had gotten bored of their conversations. So, wearing the thick woolen sweater her mother had knitted for her, she snuck outside.

It was snowing lightly outside, covering the land like a blanket. White, just like her hair. Despite this, there was almost no one outside. So she sat on the ground and started to play around with the snow. She gathered it in her hands and began making shapes and sculptures from it. Ellen was quite content, even though she had no other children to play with.

"My, my~ Aren't you a talented artist? *heart*"

Ellen jerked around to see a… rotund man, standing not far behind her. His skin was a dull grey color, like that of ash, and his ears were sharp and pointed. He also held a strange umbrella in his hand. It had a small pumpkin head on its tip. How odd.

"Little girls shouldn't be playing outside in the night! *heart* What's your name, little girl, and where are your parents? *heart*"

Ellen stared at the man for a while. "I'm sorry, mister, but Mummy and Daddy told me not to talk to strangers," she said.

"Ah, but of course! *heart* Where are my manners? I am usually called 'The Millennium Earl', but you, my _dear_ little _musician_, can call me Adam. *heart*" he said, smiling jovially. Ellen simply stared blankly at the man.

"…Weirdo," she said. An almost imperceptible twitch appeared in Adam's left eye, but otherwise he did not respond to Ellen's provocation. Sadly, he couldn't say the same for his golem. Imagine Ellen's surprise when the umbrella in Adam's hand jumped and _spoke _to her.

"Lero! Don't say things like that about the Earl, lero! You should show him some respect, you stupid human, lero!"

And things went as one would expect…

"Who are you calling stupid, you… uh… you… little umbrella… thing."

"Golem?" Adam suggested. Lero sputtered, turning to his master.

"Yes! Who are you calling stupid, you ugly little umbrella golem?"

"Why you- LERO!"

… Or maybe not.

"Well, that was unexpected…" Adam said as he watched Ellen grab Lero by the handle and whack him around. "As entertaining as this was," he pointedly ignored Lero's sputters and cries of betrayal, "I must insist that you stop manhandling my golem. I need him, you see, and I still have matters to do."

Sulking slightly, Ellen handled the now battered and bruised umbrella golem to its owner.

"Ellen!" a masculine voice shouted from behind her. She turned around to see her father standing in the doorway. "Ellen, you shouldn't be- what are _you _doing here?" The last part of his sentence was directed towards the Millennium Earl.

"_Fourteenth…" _Adam practically purred. "I was just having a conversation with your _lovely _daughter."

Neah snarled. "Ellen, get back here!"

"But Daddy I-"

"NOW!"

"…Yes." Ellen sulked and walked towards her father, who pushed her inside.

"And stay in!" he warned. Her mother pulled into an embrace and fussed over her like all mothers did.

"Ellen Walker! What did I tell you about going outside without permission?"

"Aww, but Mummy, I was bored! I wore my sweater and I didn't even leave the yard! I was just playing in the snow, Mummy, honest!"

"Yes I know but you really should ha-" her words were cut off by the string of curses that came from outside. From her father's mouth, it seemed. "Neah! Oh that's it, I'm going to wash his mouth with soap!" Her mother hastily clamped her hands over Ellen's ears, but sadly it wasn't fast enough to stop her from hearing a few words. The innocent almost-seven year old turned towards her mother.

"Mummy? What's a pedophile and why is Daddy calling the nice man that?"

* * *

><p>The second meeting between the Earl and Ellen Walker was the night after Mana's death. She sat in front of his grave, staring blankly at the plain old tombstone. In her hand she held a bouquet of wilted lilies. She curled up, trying to alleviate the pain that had been building in both her head and her chest since Mana's death.<p>

"It hurts… it hurts so much. Mana… Mana, why? Why? Why did you do that? Was I… was I not good enough for you?"

From afar, the Millennium Earl watched.

"So she's the new Fourteenth? She's so cute! I've always wanted a new little sister!"

"My, my. What's this? A sealing spell? Mana Walker, you sly bastard. I never knew you had it in you. My bad. I forgot how ruthless you used to be, and how strong your sorcery is."

"What are we going to do, Earl-sama~lero?"

"Yeah, Milenni! We can't leave her like this! She's family!"

"For now? Just follow my lead," the Earl said before teleporting to the graveyard.

"Good evening! *heart*"

"…"

"Ah, why is such a pretty young lady doing outside, in a graveyard, at this time of the day? Did you loose someone dear to you? Was Mana Walker, perhaps, someone you knew? Some one you loved?"

"…Yes. Yes, he was," the brown-haired girl said in a cracked voice.

"Ah~ Would you like it if I resurrect him for you, then?"

Ellen turned around so fast that it would probably give her whiplash. "You can do it? Really?" her voice was filled with hope. "You can bring Mana back to life?"

"Of course~ *heart* See this skeleton here? All you need is to call for his name, and his soul will reenter this body. Isn't that _easy_? *heart*"

It was easy. Almost too easy, but Ellen wasn't about to let the chance get away. She opened her mouth to call for Mana's name and-

_No, don't! Stop!_

That _voice _again! It had been with her, for as long as she could remember. Which wasn't that much to begin with. She had woke up one morning with her name as her only memory. But Mana had been there for her, explaining that he was her adoptive father, and that she'd gotten into an accident and hit her head badly. He was kind and supportive, helping her as she vainly tried to get back her lost memories. But Mana had been perpetually sad after she lost her memory, gradually getting more and more reclusive until- until…

_Fool! Do not be fooled by his appearance. Whoever he is, he's probably up to no good._

'_He seems so nice, though.'_

_Most bad people are._

It wasn't easy to argue with that. Not when she had experience with con-men and thieves. And she trusted Voice. Voice never steered her wrong. Ever. She trusted Voice more than she trusted this strange gentleman.

"No."

"No?" the man seemed genuinely puzzled. "Why not? Wouldn't you like to have Mana back?"

"Because- because he- I…" Ellen's breath hitched as she remembered the worst day in her life. "Because I hate him!"

_He left us. He lied to us. He's a coward. Why would you ever want him back?_

'_That's not true! Mana loves me! He does!'_

_Yet he chose the easy way out. Despicable. Coward. Traitor._

'_Don't say things like that about Mana!'_

_It's true though. He told us to keep walking. And look at what he did. He killed himself. He broke his own code._

"You… hate him?" the man asked, truly confused. "But I thought that you loved him?"

"Mana… he was the only one who cared for me. But in the end, he left me alone just like everyone else. Maybe one day I can forgive him. But not now. Maybe never."

"Ah~ I see. *heart* But are you sure you don't want him back? Don't you want to ask him why he left you, or just to punch him in the face?"

_I'd love to do just that. He deserves a punch, and maybe a kick in the-_

'_Voice!'_

_Oh, so that's the name you're calling me by huh? Voice? For shame! I expected a better nickname from you, Ellen!_

'…'

_You should answer the fatso's question, you know. I don't think he appreciates being ignored._

'_!'_

"No. I don't feel like dealing with him right now. But thanks for your offer. I'm leaving now," she said and stood up. But the Millennium Earl got in her way. Dread seeped into Ellen's heart at the Earl's positively _maniacal _expression.

"Ah~ I'm _sorry_, but unfortunately I can't allow you to leave."

"Huh?"

"I'm _so _sorry… it's nothing personal, but I can't let you live after seeing me. Not after you've refused my offer~"

_I told you he was up to no good._

'_Shut up!'_

"I take badly to refusal, you see. So you have to die. *heart*"

"You wouldn't dare!" Ellen exclaimed in fear, looking around. "There are witnesses around!" One right behind him, in fact. The gravedigger who had dug Mana's grave.

"Oh, them? You don't need to worry about them, little girl. In fact, you should be more worried about yourself~ *heart*" he said as the various humans around them shed their external skin and morphed into grotesque-looking beings. "_They _are the ones who are going to be _your executioner._" The fat- sorry, _rotund _man said jovially before disappearing in a shower of darkness. The monsters around her began moving towards her.

Things were _not_ looking good for Ellen Walker right now.

_RUN!_

'_Thank you _so _much for telling me to do the obvious, but the real question is where to? We're surrounded by those things!'_

"Uhh, guys?" Ellen asked nervously at the monsters. "Umm, would you mind backing off just a little bit? I'm getting rather claustrophobic…" One of the monsters fired a… something at her. She barely dodged the thing.

'_I guess that's a 'no' then.'_

_What, you really expected them to do as you said?_

'_No… not really. I was just trying to confuse them, to buy some ti-'_

_DUCK!_

She did, barely avoiding yet another bullet.

'_Actually, that one looks more like a swan, really,' _Ellen pointed at the animalistic monster that fired the bullet.

_THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO JOKE AROUND!_

'_Point taken.'_

And so the next few minutes was spent dodging the blasts and trying to find a way out. Ellen was grateful for whatever training she had went through before her amnesia. Muscle memory wasn't easily forgotten, it seemed.

_Ellen, watch out!_

"Gyurk!" Ellen felt something slam into her stomach. The force sent her flying back until her back hit a tree.

'_My ribs!' _

Stunned and blinded by the pain, Ellen was unable to do anything but watch as the monsters descended upon her. One of them raised its limb, preparing to fire at her. Ellen closed her eyes…

'_No! I will not die like this!'_

_E-ellen? _Voice sounded almost afraid. But that wasn't right. Voice was never afraid. Voice was the brave one, the one who never showed any fear.

'_I refuse to die! I don't want to die! I'm stronger than this! I won't be defeated by these pathetic creatures!'_

Something in Ellen Walker snapped into place and after a long period of dormancy, it awoke. Somewhere in a mysterious tower, a gigantic woman jerked as she sensed the awakening. The Millennium Earl merely smiled and steepled his fingers together. All was going according to his plan.

"_CROWNED CLOWN!"_

* * *

><p>I know, I know. I'm a bad person for writing yet another story. I'm still working on the third chapter of The List, which, just so you know, will be extra-long. So, how do you like my third DGM fic? This is a Fem!Noah!Allen fic, just so you know. The pairing is… uhh, actually I haven't decided yet. It's either Yullen, AlmaEllen or… an Ellen/Bondomu threesome. Uh, yeah. I really do have a thing for strange pairings. Don't bother telling me something I already know. But, uh, never mind. I still need to expand the plot before even thinking about pairings. And no, I'm not going to have a poll on which pairing I should choose. I'm the one who has control over the story, not the readers.

Important points:

-Ellen is Neah's daughter and the future Fourteenth. After her Innocence woke up, Mana sealed away her Noah half and her memories. The guilt eventually drove him to commit suicide. Ellen has a voice in her head, which may or may not be the soul of the Fourteenth or some weird kind of split personality. She didn't take the Earl's offer to bring Mana back to life, so Mana didn't turn into an akuma.


	2. Symphony: Conversations and Arguments

Quick note, _things in italics are Ellen's thoughts, or her part in her conversation with Voice. _Things that are underlined is Voice's words. _Things in both are things said/thought simultaneously by Ellen and Voice._

* * *

><p>Second Symphony: Of Conversations and Arguments<p>

"You're so cruel, Millenni. Did you really have to do that?"

The Millennium Earl merely smiled mysteriously. "You'll see, Road, dear. Just wait and see. *heart*"

"You had those Akuma attack her. Aren't you worried that she would die?"

"She lived, didn't she? Besides I would have ordered them to stop if she was too overwhelmed. *heart*"

"But she has an Innocence!" Road hissed. "We should destroy that arm of hers- she can easily regenerate it anyway! Why should we let that Innocence sap away her lifeforce?"

"It's not as simple as that, Road. Mana Walker is a sneaky man. He sealed away the Fourteenth's power and tied it to her Innocence. If her Innocence is destroyed, then she'll die."

"Well! We'll just have to wait until the next apostle of the Fourteenth awakens, then. What's another few decades, we've been waiting for millennia anyway!"

Adam sighed. His hands itched to just hit Road with his cane so that she would stop spouting nonsense. Didn't she learn anything from her past memories? Oh, right, she was the apostle of Dreams. The most childish one, with limited memory and even more limited attention span. Oh, how he wished he had Lustul by his side instead of Road. She was mature and calm, not loud and noisy like Road. But Lustul's previous incarnation was killed by the Fourteenth, Ribaazu, several years ago along with the rest of the Clan. And because of the aspect Ribaazu embodied, it would take a long, long time for them to be reborn.

"Didn't you read _anything_ from the history books in the Ark's library?*heart*" he asked Road. "The bloodline of the Fourteenth runs through the Walker clan. And she is the last one. *heart*"

"So that means, that unless she has children, there won't be any more Fourteenths?"

"Exactly! *heart*" While Dreams could be incredibly childish at times, she was also bright child, always quick on the uptake. It was only because of her personality that she appeared shallow and stupid.

"So what are we going to do now, Millenni? We're not just going to leave her alone, are we?" Road asked.

"Unfortunately, we can't interfere with the Fourteenth's life. Not now. We have to wait. *heart*"

"But, Millenni! She's just a child! What if something bad happens to her?"

"Have a little more faith in your sister, Road *heart*. Besides, I've sent some Akuma to watch over her. She'll be fine, see?"

"Well!" Road huffed. "I _still _think that we should do something to help her. She'sthe _Fourteenth_. The one who will win us this war!"

"I know, Road. I know," the Millennium Earl sighed. "I, too, wish for our family to be together and by our side once more. Alas, it is not yet time. Don't make it any more harder on me…"

Road cringed. She _hated _making Millenni sad or disappointed. It hurt her so much to see Millenni upset. Millenni had been so utterly _devastated_ after everyone was killed by the previous Fourteenth. It was painful to see Millenni not being his usual, jovial self. She herself had been a literal fountain of tears when the deaths of her clansmen hit in full force. She'd spent so many days in her World of Dreams, trying (and failing) to deal with their deaths. That was probably the one thing she would never forgive Neah for, ever.

"If you say so, Millenni…" Road conceded. Road wasn't about to abandon her youngest sister, though. Millenni said that they couldn't adopt her into the Clan yet, not until she fully awakened and they found the rest of the Clan. He said nothing about being her friend, or protecting her indirectly, or even just watching her.

For killing her family, her siblings, Road would never forgive Neah Walker. But Neah's deeds weren't Ellen's. The sins of the father weren't passed to the daughter. And Road, Apostle of Dreams, was more than willing to give Ellen Walker the benefit of doubt.

Back in the graveyard…

"What… what the bloody _hell _were those things?" Ellen asked aloud. The monsters that had attacked her were now nothing more than piles of dust and sand scattered around her. She stared at her hands. The right hand was covered by a white oversized glove. A clown glove. The left hand had turned into a clawed limb, the fingers changing into long, thin blades. She also noticed strange markings on her shoulder, concealed by the white cape that had also materialized along with a golden masquerade mask.

'_Voice, do you have any idea?'_

I don't know anything either. I only know what you do, remember? But you should change back, in case someone's nearby. We don't need anyone to see us in this state.

'_C-change back? But how do- oh.' _Her body returned to normal the moment she thought of changing back. _'Whoa…' _

Well. That was interesting, Voice commented dryly.

'_So what are we going to do now?'_

What are we going to do now? Well, Mana did leave us with some money so that's not a problem for now. But we have to find some way to make money soon.

'_Easier said than done.'_

Well, yeah. I didn't say that it would be easy, or did I?

'_First things first, though. It's getting late. We need to find a cheap inn or something. And food. I'm hungry. Actually, I'm starving.'_

You're always hungry. Voice accused, doing the mental equivalent of eyerolling.

'_Well, yeah. I wouldn't be me if I weren't hungry all the time, would I?' _Ellen asked, mimicking Voice's words.

Right. You're the one who can eat food for three grown men in one sitting.

'_I refuse to comment on that.'_

Oh phooey. You're such a killjoy, Ellen.

Ellen was about to retort when she felt something cold and wet land on the back of her neck. She jerked in surprise and looked around to see snow slowly falling around her.

'_Huh… look at that. It's snowing, and it's still the middle of November.'_

Yeah. It's almost like the sky itself is crying for Mana.

'_I never knew you could be sentimental, Voice.'_

I hated Mana for leaving us like that. I never said that I wasn't fond of him, or that I had lost my affection for him. He did care for us. He was the only one who ever did.

'_But in the end, he was just like us. Human.'_

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, young miss, but unfortunately, we don't have a job opening right now," the restaurant owner, a middle-aged woman said apologetically. "Perhaps, you can return in a few months. I might have an opening by then." Ellen plastered a fake smile on her face.<p>

"That's quite alright, ma'am. I apologize for bothering you," she said, fully meaning it. It was winter, after all, and most cafés and restaurants were closed for the time being. Especially with the rumors of a war coming and the recent hostility with France. Maybe she'd have more luck in spring, but the money Mana left her was beginning to run out thanks to her enormous appetite.

This is the thirtieth rejection we had today.

'_Well, there's always the circus…'_ Ellen suggested. She then had to hold back a flinch as Voice hissed angrily.

Never. Never! We are not returning back to that hellhole, she spat venomously.

'_We might not have a choice, though.'_

No! No means NO! Voice threw a hissy fit. Going back to that place means meeting _him _again! 

'_I know but-'_

Are you retarded, or have you forgotten? That man killed Allen! Allen! And do you remember what he nearly did to us?

Ellen shivered. She'd rather forget what Cosimo nearly did to her. She could still feel his grubbly hands touching her body, slipping under her clothes and-

Ellen! Calm down! Breathe! Voice ordered. Only then she realized that she was borderline hyperventilating.

'_S- sorry…' _Ellen took a few deep breaths to regulate her breathing. _'Better?' _

Yeah. Changed your mind about going back? 

'_If it means never meeting Cosimo again, then yes.' _Ellen let out a small sigh. _'What do you think of returning to the inn for a while? I'm feeling rather tired.' _She would need all the rest she could get. She had the feeling that she would have nightmares of Cosimo for the rest of the week. Voice quietly agreed, it was partially her fault for bringing up Cosimo again after all.

Sorry, Ellen… I thought you've gotten over it.

'…' Ellen didn't reply, but waves of reluctant forgiveness came over their mental link. It was a few minutes before she finally spoke (or rather, thought) to Voice again. _'Hey, Voice. We haven't had time to look through Mana's stuff, have we?' _she asked.

Yeah. We need to sort out his things. Should have done that first before trying to find a job, really.

'_You're the one who insisted on finding a job as soon as we could.'_

Voice sighed. I was worried, okay? You didn't seem to be up to it. And honestly, I didn't want to, either. 

'_I know. It still hurts, doesn't it?'_

So, very, very much.  Another sigh. Do you think that the pain would ever go away?

'_I doubt that very much.' _

The inn Ellen had rented a room at was a modest, respected establishment. Its rooms were well lit and clean, unlike most others. It had a small bed with clean sheets, a desk and writing implements, a mirror, and a washing basin. It was filled with lukewarm water by the time she came back, which she gladly used to clean her body from sweat and grime. She would take a bath in the communal bathroom later, perhaps when it wasn't so crowded.

'_Well, I guess this is time.'_

Yeah. Better do it sooner than later. Voice all but ordered.

'_Mmhmm.' _Ellen sighed and looked at the pristine suitcase on the bed. She and Mana had been travellers, never settling in one place for a long time. Mana was incredibly paranoid, making her use fake names and disguises. They never stayed at a place for more than a fortnight. Mana did odd jobs around, somehow managing to sustain him and Ellen's enormous appetite. As a consequence, Ellen only owned what could be stuffed into a suitcase. Mana, on the other hand, had his sorcery to rely upon. She had learned a small bit before his death, nothing much. She did know how to open his magically sealed suitcase, though.

Careful. It has security measures installed in it. It could blow up if you did it incorrectly.

'_I know.' _Ellen rolled her eyes exasperatedly. Really, the way Voice acted, one would think that Ellen was a clumsy, forgetful novice. She pulled the suitcase over and stared at the combination lock, the first layer of security on it. She adjusted the displayed number to show '0-0-3-9'. There. Then she bit her thumb and smeared blood over the lock. Mana had keyed the magical protection to the both of them. The lock clicked open.

Now for the tricky part. It was, basically, the complete transfer of ownership of the suitcase and its contents from Mana to Ellen. She had to be really careful here. Humming a certain tune, she picked up a piece of paper and started writing the code Mana taught her, in their very own language. It was a complicated writing system, and she couldn't make a single mistake. As she wrote, she channeled her magic into the paper and hummed the lullaby Mana used to sing her.

_Soushite bouya ha nemuri ni tsuite_

_Ikidzuku, hai no naka no honoo_

_Hitotsu, futatsu to_

A circle, the second largest of them all. She had to make sure it was large enough to contain the rest of the runes, though, but not too big to not properly contain her magic. And it had to be a perfect circle too. Thank God for calligraphy lessons.

_Ukabu fukurami itoshii yokogao_

_Daichi ni, taruru iku sen no_

_Yume, yume…_

Long, thin lines protruding from the circle. It had a certain pattern to it, though Ellen wasn't sure what the pattern was supposed to resemble. She'd seen it before, but where? Another circle, larger than the first, encompassing the symbols she wrote before.

_Gin no hitomi no yuragu yoru ni_

_Umare ochita, kagayaku omae_

_Ikuoku no toshitsuki ga_

_Ikutsu, inori wo, tsuchi he kaeshite mo…_

Smaller symbols, shaped like vertical lines with an oval attached them. Some of them had a flag like shape or two, some were upside down, some of the ovals were white and some were black. Again, it was incredibly familiar to her. Maybe she'd seen it before she lost her memory? Yes, that had to be it.

_Watashi wa inori tsudzukeru_

_Douka kono ko ni ai wo_

A black sigil in the middle, somewhat resembling a coat of arms. Now she _knew _she'd seen it before, she was sure of it! But where? When? Deciding to ponder about it later, she took a deep breath and sang the last verse of the song aloud.

"Tsunaida te ni, KISU WO…" Ellen sang melodiously. Not breaking the final note, she smeared her still bleeding thumb over the paper and placed it right over the suitcase. It glowed for a few seconds before something in Ellen's mind just _clicked. _She made a small smile, she didn't make a mistake after all. At a mental command, the suitcase's lid flipped open and Ellen peered into its contents.

The suitcase was magically enchanted to be larger inside than outside. The topmost items were Mana's normal clothes: white shirts, some from cotton, some from considerably more expensive fabric, dress pants, ties, and a pair of polished shoes. Then there were his underware, which Ellen hastily skipped through in mortification and embarassment. Some magic spell books- they'd be useful but _way _ahead of Ellen's current level, and she wasn't about to learn magic without an instructor. That was only asking for trouble. A leather photo album, magically sealed and she didn't know how to open it. She decided to respect Mana's privacy and didn't pry further. A stack of letters, some still in their envelopes. They went to the same pile as the photo album. Ellen's eyes widened at something deep inside the suitcase.

'_Oh, wow. A sword, all polished and sharpened. Who knew Mana was carrying something like thi- wait, is that a shotgun? And ammo?'_

Who knew Mana had been carrying things like these all the time? Oh hey, that's one mean-looking dagger. And that's a war axe! And a crossbow! Dear God, Mana's been totting around an armory all the time?

'_I'm not touching any of that,' _Ellen resolutely decided. _'I don't even know the basics of self-defense. I'm not touching weapons I don't know how to use.'_

Are you crazy? Voice asked incredulously. We could use those things! At least, in self defense. Just imagine how we'd look carrying around that sword! We'd look so badass! No one would try to bother us, then!

'_We'd look like a violent, murderous eleven year old who needs a stay at an asylum.'_

…Point. But still! At least you should try to learn how to use one of them. In case, you know, someone like Cosimo comes around. Like that dagger. It's easily concealable and easy to use. When someone tries to do something on us you could just stab him and rip out his intestines. Voice sent a series of incredibly vivid mental image at Ellen, who tried not to puke at them.

'_Voice! Stop that right now! Ack, I think I'm gonna be sick!' _Ellen hissed furiously.

Oh, what's wrong, Ellen? Can't stand a bit of gore and blood? Voice teased.

'_No I- oh my God, stop it, stop it! That's… that's just so wrong! STOP IT, VOICE!'_

Geez, geez, calm down, girl. It's just a bit of blood. Nothing you can't handle. And I thought I told you to give me a proper name!

'_Fine, then. From now on, I'm calling you… Bob.'_

Bob? BOB? I'M A GIRL, DAMMIT! Voice threw the mother of all hissy fits.

'…_Do disembodied voices really have genders?' _Ellen wondered idly. _'I dunno, you sound plenty like a boy to me, Bob.' _

I'm a girl! Well, I think I'm a girl, since I can't really check, but my self-image is as a girl! Not as a boy! I demand that you give me a new name, right now!

'_I think it suits you well, Bob.'_

DAMMIT. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, ELLEN WALKER!

'_And how, exactly, are you planning to accomplish that? You're nothing more than a voice in my head, which may or may not be real, or merely a figment of my imagination.'_

Err… Gah, damn you, Ellen. If I can't kill you, then I'm going to make you SUFFER. SUFFER, you hear me? SUFFER!

Ellen yelped as she felt something hammer against her mental walls repeatedly, causing a considerable amount of pain on her side.

'_GAH! Damnit, Bob, stop that! You're giving me a headache! Gah! Alright, alright! I'll call you by a girl name, alright? There! What do you want your name to be?'_

…Umm… Actually I have no idea.

'_You've got to be kidding me… Alright, how about Leah? That sounds like a good name.' _Voice considered the name for a while.

Leah… I like that name. It sounds nice, I guess. The newly named 'Leah' purred. It sounds… sexy. Ellen was assaulted by countless images from the passenger in her head.

'_GAH! Leah, stop tha- argh, the images! The images! Dammit, we're just eleven! Have you ever heard of too much information?'_

Why? What's wrong with boys, Ellen?

'_Boys are icky!' _Ellen declared.

For some reason, Leah found her statement incredibly amusing. She started giggling.

'_What are you laughing at? Argh! I can't stand this! I have a jerk for a guest in my mind!' _Ellen hissed furiously.

*Snicker* Oh, Ellen. Well, you'll just have to deal with me. I'm not exactly capable of leaving, you know.

'_Humph!' _Ellen huffed in indignation. Then something came to her mind. _'Say, Leah, we've never had this conversation before, but… just _what _are you?' _she questioned curiously.

Leah paused,as if considering Ellen's questions. You know, I've been wondering about that too. Actually, I don't know either. I just know, that I came into existence when you woke up after getting amnesia.

'_In other words, you have no clue,' _Ellen said dryly.

Bingo!

Ellen sighed. Just great. She had a bipolar, perverted, possibly insane passenger in her mind.

'_I wish Mana was here. He could sort this mess out.'_

You rely too much on a dead man, Leah reminded her. And I doubt that even he can deal with this fucked-up relationship we have. We'll just have to deal with whatever we get. It's not a matter of getting a good hand in life. It's a matter of playing it right.

'_Yeah, yeah. We should continue sorting Mana's things, then.' _Ellen decided.

The next few items weren't as interesting as the pile of weapons she pulled out of the suitcase. A clown suit. A disguise kit. Woman's make up kit. Several bottles of perfume. Miscellanous objects that couldn't fit into his normal rucksack. Finally Ellen reached into a fairly large leather case at the bottom of Mana's suitcase.

'_Well, well. What's this?'_

It's called a violin, dummy.

'_I know what it's called, Leah. I'm just wondering what it's doing in here.'_

Obviously, it was Mana's. It's _his _suitcase. I mean, was his suitcase. Whatever.

Ellen took a deep breath. Sometimes it got _difficult_ to deal with Leah and her attitude…

'_Well, he never showed any particular interest in music, much less that he owned a violin!'_

Hmm, yes, Mana never told us a lot of things, did he? That jerk. If he were here, I'd give him a piece of my mind for leaving us alone! Leah hissed, low and filled with anger.

And sometimes, Ellen couldn't figure out whether Leah loved Mana or hated him. She settled for a love-hate thing, though it probably wasn't entirely accurate either. Figuring out Leah made her head hurt. She sighed and decided to ponder about it later.

The violin was very pretty, made of black ebony wood. Somehow Ellen just _knew _that it was of very high quality, well cared for, and perfectly turned. She just knew it. Almost unaware of what she was doing she picked it up and played a note. _D, re, _something in her mind told her.

Ellen? What are you doing? Leah asked, alarmed. Ellen ignored her and tried out the violin, a pensive expression on her face. She played several notes in rapid succession.

'_Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do-ti-la-sol-fa-mi-re-do, C-D-E-F-G-A-B-A-G-F-E-D-C.' _Ellen didn't know where her sudden musical knowledge came from. She just _knew _it.

Stop it! Stop it, Ellen! I don't like it! Leah screamed in her mind. Ellen ignored her and started playing the intro to the lullaby Mana had sang to her… only to shriek and nearly drop the violin as pain lanced through her head.

'_LEAH! What was that for?' _she demanded furiously.

IDIOT! Don't you find your sudden musical ability suspicious? 

Ellen paused to consider it. _'Well. I could have learned about it before I lost my memories.'_

…True. But still! Why hadn't Mana told us about it?

_Maybe he wasn't sure that we still knew how to play._

Yes, that's a possibility. But I still don't like it. It's suspicious.

'_Oh do shut up, you paranoid jerk,' _Ellen said. To say that she was incredibly upset at Leah would be putting it lightly.

I am most certainly not paranoid.

'_Candy Incident, Easter 1887.'_

…Okay, maybe I am paranoid. A bit. Not much.

'_A bit- oh, you're hopeless! Now will you shut up and let me play this violin?' _

Oh, fine! Fine! I won't bother you!Leah seethed. Ellen smiled triumphantly and started playing the lullaby by memory.

It sounded awful. Very, very awful. Even Ellen had to cringe at the off-tone notes and wrong tempo. She placed it aside and sighed.

That didn't go well.

'_Oh, do shut up for a moment, Leah! I don't need you to rub more salt in the wound!_

Oh, come on. Did you expect to play it perfectly on first try? I don't think you're that stupid, or naïve.

'_Than- hey! Did you just call me stupid and naïve?'_

I believe I just did.

'_Why you- argh! Forget it! You're such an insufferable jerk!'_

Why, thank you.

'_Oh, for the love of God. Shut up!' _Ellen seethed, rather out of character for one usually so nice and sweet. Leah decided not to provoke Ellen further.

Hey, she might be a jerk, annoying, and rude, but Leah was _not _suicidal, thank you very much. And although she doubted Ellen could ever do anything serious to her, short of lobotomy, Ellen could cause her pain just like she did before. Their link was a two-way thing. What Leah could do to Ellen, Ellen could also do to Leah.

It's getting late, Leah observed. Sleep.

'_Not sleepy,' _Ellen protested, but they both knew better. Leah pressed again.

That spell took a lot out of you. You should rest. We still need to find a job tomorrow.

'_I'ms so touched by your caring, Leah.'_

Heh. As if. I'm just doing this for my own benefit. It's your body I'm residing in, dummy. It won't help me if you fall sick or something.

'_I don't want to sleep!' _Ellen hissed before yawning aloud. Curse her traitorous body.

Sleep, Leah ordered. You need to rest, and you know it. You won't have any energy to find a job if you don't sleep, and the sooner we can make money for ourselves the better.

'_Fine. I'm tired anyway.' _Ellen changed into her sleepwear and curled up on the small, lumpy matress. But while Ellen's mind and body was asleep, Leah was not. She took her time to reflect on what had happened the last few days. A spark of guilt found its way to her heart. Ellen had been miserable, tired, and still incredibly upset. She really shouldn't have goaded her like that, but before she realized it they were arguing. Again. Leah mentally sighed. She really should have known better… but it was so refreshing to see Ellen being something other than depressed. Anything to have her snap out of this phase. For the umpteenth time, Leah cursed Mana for killing himself and leaving the two of them alone.

_-na. Mana… Miss you… come back…_

Ellen? 

_sorry… I'm sorry, Ma-na. I'll be good this t'me._

Ellen, it's just a dream. Wake up, dummy!

_No! Mana. MANA. MANA!_

ELLEN! Leah struggled to wake the other mind in, and owner of, the body she resided in. In her sleep, Ellen's body struggled and flailed, her arms clawing at something that didn't exist. She rolled around and got herself tangled in the bedsheets. All the while, Leah was shouting panickedly at her.

_Why? Why? Mana, why? WHY?_

Goddammit, wake up, Ellen! Leah screamed. Torrents of images and memories poured at her, overwhelming her. Rage. Sadness. Confusion. Disgust. Hate. Hopelessness.

_Mana. I love you, Mana. Why did you have to leave?_

_Was I naughty? Was I not good enough for you? Or are you disapppointed that I couldn't get back my memories? Did you miss the 'old' me?_

_I tried, Mana. I did. I really did. Don't you know how much I need you? _

_Mana, please come back. I miss you. I miss you._

…

_You're not coming back, are you? You're gone… forever?_

…

_I hate you. I hate you._

_You think you can just throw me away, just leave me like that?_

_I hate you, Mana Walker. I hate you._

…

_But I also still love you. _

_I'm so confused._

…

Ellen? Leah tentatively asked after several moments of silence from her other half.

Now Leah was honestly scared, for Ellen's sanity and wellbeing. She decided to throw all stops and shook Ellen awake. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Ellen jerked and blearily opened her eyes.

'_Huh? Leah, what's wrong?'_

You… you don't remember anything?

'_I was sleeping… had a strange dream. There were… things.'_

You had a nightmare. I had to wake you up. You can go back to sleep now.

'_Aw… but I don't wanna. I can't sleep… not after what I've seen.'_

What did you dream of, anyway? Must be bad, for you to get so shaken.

'_I dreamed… huh, that's funny. I don't really remember much. But it was awful. I don't want to sleep again.'_

Tell me what you can remember.

'_Umm. Not much at all, actually, But… there was fire. There was fire everywhere. And the sound of screaming. And there was Mana. He was there. And he was hurt, badly.' _Ellen shivered. _'I don't want to see it, ever again. It's bad. Really bad. I don't think I can sleep, even if I try to.'_

Heh. You don't need to worry. After all, I am here with you. I'm the best.

'…_heh. Lay off the arrogance a bit, would you?' _Ellen yawned. _'I think I'll take your offer on that.' _

You're starting to learn. Now, sleep. Leah ordered.

Ellen rolled her eyes. _'Yes, mother.' _Leah sputtered for a bit before regaining her bearings.

Well, then, _daughter, _be a good girl and obey my orders. Ellen rolled her eyes again; trust Leah to take everything so seriously.

She was used to it, so she ignored her jest and curled up on the mattress and covered herself with the quilt blanket. Leah made a small smile and began humming a tune under her metaphorical breath.

Soushite bouya wa nemuri ni tsuite

Ikidzuku hai no naka no honou

Hitotsu, futatsu to

Ukabu fukurami itoshii yokogao

Daichi ni taruru ikusen no

Yume, yume

Gin no hitomi yuragu yoru ni

Umare ochita kagayaku omae

Ikuoku no toshitsuki ga

Ikutsu, inori wo,tsuchi he kaeshitemo

Watashi wa inori tsudzukeru

Douka kono ko ni ai wo

Tsunaida te ni kisu wo…

'_Leah…?'_

Hmm?

'…_Thanks.'_

You're welcome.

* * *

><p>"Well, shit," a red haired man muttered as he made his way towards the graveyard. "Fucking fat bastard, held me up with ladies and booze. Now the Fourteenth's brat is- huh?" he blinked, taking in the destruction around the place. It looked like whole armies had battled there. "Oi, old man. What the hell happened here?" he asked bluntly to the person sitting in the shade of a near-uprooted tree.<p>

"Hmm? Oh, this? I don't know actually." He stood up, flicking away his burnt cigarette. "The people around here say it's a monster preying on the souls of the dead. Not too sure myself, but it seems that there was a battle a few nights ago. Strange thing, though, is that there's only one grave that seems to be untouched." He pointed towards a tombstone. "Rumor says that the deceased somehow came back to life and destroyed the monster. Personally I think it's a load of bull, but I'd advise you to be careful. It can return anytime."

"Feh. That's stupid. No one can come back from life. A monster eating souls? Give me a break," Cross growled. The monster in question had to be an Akuma. He let out several curses. Now that he knew that there were Akuma in this town, he'd have to exterminate them. Feh. What a bore. He was a general, the awesome General Cross. Killing Akuma was a job usually left to normal exorcists, and he was anything but normal. Still, he supposed that it was unavoidable. Despite the Vatican church's best attempts, it was virtually impossible to keep the existence of Akuma a complete secret.

Cross Marian's hands snuck into the gun holster at his waist, smirking slightly. "Well, Judgment, it seems like we're going to have some fun, eh?" Casually he spun around and shot a bullet at the Level One that had attempted to sneak on him. "Yare yare. Is this really the best the fatso can send after me? What a bore." The Exorcist General quickly and effortlessly decimated the horde of Akuma, displaying just why he was appointed a General. "Pathetic."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you," a sweet, childish voice called. "It upsets me when someone insults Millennie."

Cross spun around to see a girl with spiky hair, wearing a black lolita dress standing several meters behind him. What made her really stand out, though, was her ash-grey skin and the seven stigmata scars on her brow. The girl smiled and waved her hand at him. Cross promptly had to duck, barely avoiding the candles she sent towards him.

"Now, what's a Noah like you doing here, brat?" Cross questioned. "Last thing I heard, that Neah brat offed your family."

The girl hissed. "Never mention his name in front of me, ever again!" Her eyes flared with anger. She calmed herself down for a moment before continuing, "as for what I'm doing? I'm just making sure that you won't bother the Fourteenth anymore. I don't want her to join the Black Order or become your apprentice." An evil grin appeared on her face. "And the best way to ensure it is for you to die!"

* * *

><p>So. How do you like it? Personally I think it's not one of my best. It's just too rushed and… gah, it's bad, alright? However, I've finally decided on where to carry this story. So you can expect more updates from me. Yay!<p>

About pairings: I, uhh, haven't decided? Pairings aren't really my strong suit. Now that I've got a rough outline of the plot, I'm not sure whether I can fit in pairings in this story. I'm really, _really_ tempted to put in Alma in the story, though. Somehow.

About Leah: She's… sort of a split personality, sort of not? She was created when Mana sealed Ellen's memories. That's all I can say for now. Don't think about it too much. I'm not sure myself. It's just the sort of thing that's really hard to describe. She lives in Ellen's mind. Their connection is a two-way thing.

Ribaazu? That's my made-up Noah name for the Fourteenth, like how Tyki's is 'Joido' and Sherill's 'Dezaiasu'. It's actually my pathetic attempt at transliterating 'Rebirth' into Japanese kana. Ellen is the Fourteenth Noah, and she represents the 'rebirth' of Noah, hence the title of my story.


	3. Symphony: Memories of the Past

Warning: Attempted rape scene, though nothing graphic.

Third Symphony: Revelations

"Hmm. Well, that's interesting," Ellen said as she looked into the mirror. Leah snorted.

Yeah, if you can call getting white hair at the age of eleven is interesting. You idiot! What did you do? Now no one's going to be interested in us! Leah bemoaned. Ellen closed her eyes, trying to hold back her irritance.

'Oh, do shut up. Besides, it's the roots of my hair that's turning white. We can hide it easily with some hairdye,' she chided Leah. Picking up a black shawl, she draped it over her head. 'See? That was easy, wasn't it? I'll pick up some hairdye while we're looking for a job, but this'll suffice for now.'

Huh! Alright, alright. That'll do, I think. You're such a dummy. What did you do to give yourself white hair?

Ellen took a deep breath. No, this was not the time to freak out and shout at Leah. Patience. Patience.

'Maybe… maybe we should move to another town. It's been a week, and we still haven't found a job yet. Mana left us with an awful lot of money, but it's going to run out, sooner or later.'

It wouldn't have ran out so fast if you weren't so gluttonous. Now, stop whining. It's your own fault. Leah paused before adding. And buy a cloak or something! It's awfully cold!

'Oh, do shut up,' Ellen finally snapped in exasperation. 'It's not my fault that it's winter, and there are so few job openings! We might as well try to live on Mana's money until spring, there's no sense in wasting energy looking for a job opening that doesn't exists!' Ellen calmed herself down fo a moment before continuing, 'which I'm not going to do, because people would get suspicious of an overly wealthy, orphaned eleven year old girl. No, it's best that we keep moving around, even without a job. It'll be less suspicious that way.'

Geez. And you have the nerve to call _me _paranoid?

'It's not paranoia. It's common sense.'

Whatever. I still call that paranoia. It's not paranoia only when they're really out to get you.

'_Oh, do shut up!' _Ellen all but roared at her… alter ego? Split personality? Whatever Leah was, neither of them were quite sure. She was hardly fazed.

Temper, temp- ARRGH! Why you bitch! Leah roared as pain lanced through her, err, being. What the hell was that for?

'I thought I told you to just shut up already!'

Leah cringed, and she suddenly remembered why Ellen was the dominant mind in their relationship. She was awfully nice, maybe even bordering on pacifism, but she could be scary when provoked. And Leah had just triggered about all of her buttons in rapid succession.

'Leah? Leah? Are you alright? Oh God, I'm so sorry! Leah, say something, please!'

She was also incredibly kind, though it was not a vice or fault in any way. It made Leah feel guilty for angering her earlier.

I'm fine. Leah said. It'd take more than that to take me down.

'Heh. Such arrogance.'

Am not! I'm just that awesome!

Ellen snorted. 'Yeah, yeah. Keep saying that, Lee-lee.'

What did you just call me?

'I called you Lee-lee. Geez, do you have hearing problems or something?' Ellen paused. 'Wait, is it even possible for you to have hearing problems?'

…Probably not. Don't think too hard about it. You'll give yourself brain damage. A being of lesser intellect such as yourself can't possibly comprehend a superior being like me.

'…Again, what is with you and megalomania?'

Leah shrugged. It's fun?

'…_I'm not going to dignify that with a response,' _Ellen said decisively. She would never, ever understand Leah. She was just that strange. And confusing.

'I still say that we should be moving around. People are bound to get suspicious.'

Yeah, like your appetite isn't bad enough.

'Oh, do shut up, Leah. I'm not in the mood right now!'

Leah did. She did not want to meet the brunt of Ellen's wrath yet again, not so soon after causing her fury. Not again. She was neither suicidal, nor a sadist. She was sane, or at least as sane as a voice in someone else's head could be.

"Well. I guess we'll have to pack, then," Ellen sighed and looked around the small room she had inhabited for the last few days. It was almost completely empty. The only things she needed to pack were her toiletries and a few of her clothes. Thanks to her nomadic lifestyle, she kept most of her meager possessions in her bag and never took out all of them. Magic was a good substitute for washing clothes so she didn't need to use the laundry service either. Ellen walked around, making sure that there weren't any stray strands of her hair, nail clippings, or other things. Things like that could be used against her with magic, and while it was unlikely, Mana had instilled that habit since she could remember. Paranoia, that was Mana's defining characteristic.

It had saved their lives several times, too.

Tsunaida te ni kisu wo…

'_Ugh… It's… it's not working!' _Ellen glared at the violin lying on her lap.

'I can play other songs just fine, and I'm pretty sure that I got the notes right. So why can't I get this one right? There's just something… missing.' Ellen sighed and hugged her knees. She wanted to cry. The lullaby was the only thing she could remember from her forgotten past, and it reminded her of the happier days with Mana. So why? Where had she gotten it wrong?

It was a stupid thing to be upset over, she knew. She didn't even have any formal music training. That she could play it even half-decently was amazing. And yet… and yet, she felt that she should- no, that she could have done better. The song was important, somehow.

She didn't want to lose the only connection to her past.

Oh come on. It's not that bad. Quit your stupid whining, idiot!

'_I know. I know.' _Ellen wanted to chuck something at Leah, but that wasn't quite possible, was it? She wasn't insane. Yet.

Ellen looked around the room she rented. She'd been travelling around on foot, never staying at one place longer than a few days. Paranoia? Maybe. But she was lucky that she hadn't met _him _yet, and she wasn't going to take any chances.

'Are you sure that this is going to work, Leah?' she questioned.

Trust me, dummy, it'll be totally fine.

'Yes, because trusting the voice in your head will make everything go 'totally fine'. Gee, and you wonder why I doubt this plan?'

Shut up. As much as I loathe to say this, you've gotten better at playing that violin of yours. It's better than no money at all, so get on to it!

'Will they really give us money, though? I mean, the only songs I know are those I composed by myself. What if they hate it?'

Leah sighed. Dummy. Have more faith in yourself! I know that you can do this. Besides, you won't know until you try, right? Where'd all of your confidence gone, down the drain?

Ellen didn't really mind the 'dummy' epithet, since Leah didn't mean any malice behind it. It was her own way of showing affection, in a weird, Leah-y kind of way. But she protested anyway, just for the principle of things.

'Stop calling me a dummy!'

I'll call you whatever I want. A dummy is still a dummy, no matter what you call it.

She was getting used to this kind of banter. God help her. She wasn't going insane… was she?

Oh, who was she trying to kid? She was talking to a voice in her head, for God's sake!

The voice in her head had some pretty logical ideas, though, so maybe she wasn't that insane. Yet.

She still wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or not.

'_Do I really have to do this, Lee-lee?' _Ellen mentally wailed. _'I don't wanna…' _Nervously she fiddled around, twiddling her thumbs in anxiety. Leah heaved a heavy sigh, or at least the closest mental approximation to it.

Geez, you really are a dummy, aren't you? We're already running out of money, and this is the easiest way to get it.

'You're the one who insisted on buying a thick coat and new dresses!'

Do you _want _to freeze in the winter? Leah demanded. Besides, those clothes were old and too small. You need to dress properly, you know. Geez, what would happen to you if you didn't have me?

'_Yeah. Whatever,' _Ellen sighed, staring at her left arm. After the… incident at Mana's grave, her arm had changed. It was no longer swollen and monstrous-looking, like the deformed arm of an ogre stitched to her shoulder. It looked almost normal, except for the red, raw-looking, wrinkled skin. Now it looked like a particularly serious burn scar, though that description wasn't quite right either. She moved her fingers around, savoring its flexibility. It was a novel experience for her, since it used to be stiff and required a lot of effort to move.

"Well. I guess wasting time is useless," Ellen muttered. She picked up the silver hairbrush Mana had got her for christmas several years ago and carefully brushed her hair. It was a mess, tangled and all over the place. She glared at her back length earthen brown hair. One of these days she'd have to get a haircut, or start to tie it with a ribbon. She examined the roots of her hair and frowned. The white color was starting to show again. Why was her hair turning white at such a young age? It didn't make sense. She flinched as pain lanced through his head and her vision flashed red.

Mark-…Noah's Fourteenth-…Family of-…Blood-…Apostles

'_The hell was that?' _Ellen asked, still holding her head. It still hurt, though the pain had dulled into a sharp throbbing instead of the full out migraine. _'A voice in my head is one too much, and I've got another now?'_

I take offense to that.

'Shut up, freeloader.'

HEY! It's not like I wanted to be stuck here. And before you ask anything, no I don't know anything about what just happened.

'Useless,' Ellen sighed. 'That felt like… a memory, but not quite that… solid. It was… damaged, somehow. I didn't quite manage to catch it in entirety.' She winced and rubbed her forehead as it throbbed in sync with her pulse. 'Hurts like hell, though.'

Yes, and the sun is hot, Leah said, sarcasm lining her words.

'_Oh, shush you,' _Ellen muttered darkly. _'I'm not in the mood right now.' _Her head hurt, and dealing with Leah was not making things any better.

Surprisingly, Leah obeyed. Maybe she felt that it wasn't worth it, or maybe she was also affected by… whatever that was. Ellen wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, and so she decided to stay silent. She picked up the hairbrush she dropped and continued to brush it, trying to be as gentle as possible. She grimaced at the state her hair was in. She really needed to take more care of it. Mana had always said he loved her hair and helped her brush it every night. After taking a glance at the looking glass, she decided that she had done all she could for her hair for the time being. She picked up a red ribbon and tied back her hair, before grabbing her violin case and walking away.

She didn't say anything as she walked through the streets, trying to find a suitable place. Leah murmured softly in her mind, telling her to find a spot where many people passed by. The more the better, though she wasn't really picky about it.

Ah, look. A festival. That looks like a good place to start.

'Oh, that's right. It's New Year's Eve tonight, right? I nearly forgot.'

You _always _forget. I don't think you'd even realize it had we not chance upon this place.

'True… it doesn't really matter to me, anyway. We don't have anyone to celebrate it with,' Ellen noted bitterly.

What am I, minced meat?

'No, you're just the weird voice in my head that doesn't know what 'shut up' means.'

Well, it's not like I can do anything _but _talk. I'm stuck here, after all. Talking is the only thing that prevents me from dying of boredom, Leah said with a nonchalant air. Ellen hid a wince. Now, _that _was one argument she didn't have an answer for.

'Right, right. What do you think about taking a look around, seems like this's gonna be fun! A festival. Hmm, I wonder if we'll meet them again.'

You mean, those two idiots? Why you like to hang around with them, I'll never understand. What do you see in them, anyway?

'The twins aren't the brightest bunch, I'll agree with you on that,' Ellen said. 'But Jas and Dev are funny and I like playing with them.'

They're idiots, Leah scoffed. Remember the time they interrupted Mana while he was playing a trick on the tightrope? That was dangerous! And then, remember when they almost disrupted Mana's ritual? That could've blown up everything and killed everyone within the radius of half a mile!

'_In all fairness, they didn't know that we practiced magic, or that barging into our trailer at midnight was Very Dangerous.' _Somewhere along the time she'd spent with Leah, Ellen had learnt how to Capitalize Words. She quickly found out it was Very Useful for Emphasizing Things. Leah had never quite figured out how to do so, but the… mind-being-thingy had quickly learned that Capitalizing Things was a Big Deal.

Hm. Whatever. This place is bound to be filled with a lot of people. You should find a place to play your violin.

'I dunno… why can't I just look for a different job? I don't like the idea of playing music for the money. What if I make a mistake? What if they laugh at me?'

You've practiced, haven't you? And besides, it's kinda hard to find a job in this kind of weather. Not many establishments are open in the winter, after all.

'Right, right. Whatever. Are you sure this is gonna work?'

You'll never know if you don't do it. Worth a try, at least, Leah encouraged her landlady.

'…'_kay,' _Ellen sighed. Better get it over with than let Leah pester her for the rest of her time here. It was easy, right? Just playing a few songs with her violin and let people fill the case with spare change. It shouldn't be difficult, she'd seen street performers making a living in the same way. And she'd practiced. A lot, to the point that even her dreams were filled with her playing a violin.

"It's gonna be okay…" she muttered to herself. She took out the gorgeous ebony violin and placed the case on the ground, opened. Taking a few deep breaths, she mentally played the first few chords before starting to play.

This wasn't the same piece that Mana had used to seal his suitcase. She still hadn't managed to perfect that one, and she wasn't satisfied enough of her performance. Thus, she played one of the pieces she composed herself. Tentatively titled 'Midnight Snow Melody', it weaved a sad story of loss and pain, yet still holding the hope of a coming spring. Like the soft snow that fell from the sky, covering everything in sight like a blanket of white, but will eventually melt and give way to spring flowers. She had composed it three weeks after Mana's death, after she'd gotten over the worst of her grief. As she played she poured her feelings into the song, her entire being and soul into the melody. Not very long, a little more than a sonata, but nevertheless it was her first masterpiece.

So immersed she was into the beautifully haunting melody, she hadn't heard or sensed people gathering around her. As the last note faded into nothingness, she was pulled out of her trance-like state by the sound of applause and people asking for another song. Mercury silver eyes snapped open, like a deer caught in the headlights. The violin case was already filled with a subtantial amount of money. She blushed prettily as she realized that they were asking her to continue with another song.

How… embarassing. And flattering. Thankfully, she had another song in mind, though she hadn't quite mastered it as well as she did the first song… Hopefully, it wouldn't be too bad. She really needed to increase a repertoire. She remembered seeing what seemed to be a collection of music partitures in Mana's bag, though she wasn't sure that she could read it. Being amnesiac and everything.

This time the melody was much more cheerful. It was a simple tune, merry and energetic. Her right hand moved the bow, fingers of the other hand dancing around the delicate strings. She felt her spirits slowly start to lift. A small smile graced her lips, the first true smile in several weeks.

Music was, truly, amazing. Glorious and eternal.

The recognition and her admittance of that fact sparked a jolt within her soul.

Deep inside Ellen's body, unbeknownst to all, an ancient power stirred in its slumber. It had not been seen on Earth for several millennia, and It slowly reached out to Its Host, to start the Awakening and bring the Purge…

Only to meet with an unpenetrable wall. The ancient _thing _frowned at it, and curiously probed the seal on its Host. It tried several times to escape, but It soon grew tired. It had been weakened by the long sleep, though not for long.

This was not the day It would be released. It would be patient and had to wait, just as It had done for milennia.

See, I told you it'd go well! I told you, I'm always right!

While normally Ellen would be annoyed at Leah's blatant _hubris, _she was far too giddy to pay attention.

'If this goes on, we'll never have to worry about food and shelter!' she exclaimed happily. 'We've got enough money for a few weeks, maybe more!'

Yes, yes. And who's idea was it? Mine, of course.

'Oh, stop spoiling my fun. Now, where was that food stand again? Ooooh, look! Candied apples!' the giddy eleven year old ran towards the stand and-

"Ack!"

"Oi, watch where you're going, brat!"

"Owie…" she whimpered, rubbing her sore butt. She had ran headlong into an adult and was knocked off her feet. Huh, that was strange. The man she ran into didn't appear to be the sturdy type, and was hardly winded at all. And Ellen was a human cannonball when she was looking for food. "Sorry mister, but I…" Ellen trailed off as she saw just who she had ran into and almost jumped away in horror, but the man had grabbed her arm.

The man had a nasty smirk on his face, one Ellen _knew_ would bring down trouble. Aaaall sorts of trouble.

"Why, I was just looking for you, brat. You're that Walker man's daughter, aren't you, eh? What a scrawny little thing, haven't been eating enough food since you _dear _guardian offed himself?"

Ellen stiffened, and jerked her arm away from the man's grip. He was wearing a strange mask on his face… why was he hiding his face in this kind of location? He was also very well dressed, if the silk she felt was any indication. Bright red hair that made him really stand out in the crowd. Why hadn't she recognized _him_ earlier? Stupid, stupid, stupid! Mana had told her to watch the crowd around her all the times, he had practically drilled it into her head! But no, she had been distracted by the food and money, and now _that man _had caught her. Mana had taken great pains to avoid _him _and told Ellen to stay away from him at all costs.

And now, he was insulting Mana! Ellen hadn't quite made up her mind, whether to love or hate her guardian, but she wouldn't let this _stranger _insult his memory. So she stood up and did the first thing that came to mind.

Remember little one, when a male, be it a boy or man, starts harassing you…

She kicked him in the balls.

You see, as unsensitive and unfeeling as men seem to be, there is something that they all share, and that is the limited gift of Empathy. Especially regarding one's, ahem, _manly parts. _When Ellen valiantly defended her guardian's honor, every male in the immediate vicinity winced in phantom pain, and those in a ten mile radius had the sudden urge to protect their family jewels.

Of course, not even the man who Ellen was currently facing, or who liked to call himself 'The Legendary Womanizer and Gambler Extraordinaire, the Great Marian Cross', was immune to such a low, cowardly attack. He howled in pain and bent down to cover his… damaged goods. Ellen smirked, displayed an astounding level of maturity by showing her tongue at him, and quickly ran away.

Alas, her glee was not for long, as a steely hand grabbed her long hair and tugged her to see him face to face. Much to her horror, the man had already recovered from her attack. She blanched. That was… that was unnatural! He shouldn't have been able to recover so fast! She had kicked him with all her strength, even if he was strong, he should be groaning in pain right now!

(Of course, Cross Marian wasa master of _both _the Exorcism Arts and the Bedroom Arts. One didn't survive long in either without both stamina and pain resilience, especially since akuma weren't exactly known for playing fair. But, hush, Ellen isn't supposed to know about it, so be quiet and don't tell her!)

"Brat. You're going to pay for that!" he hissed. Ellen gulped. Uh-oh…

The man smirked. "Don't worry, I won't _kill _you or anything. Don't feel so special though. It's just that you happen to have _something _me, and more others, are looking for." He grabbed her left hand, covered by a glove. "That's a nice demon-slaying arm you've got there, little girl. You've got a perfect, trained body too. And you're young and female. Since I've been _so _gracious to overlook the fact that you and you 'father' have been running away from me for the past few years, and that you nearly damaged my family jewels, I'm sure we can come to an agreement."

Silver eyes narrowed.

"Our organization needs more young… women."

At this point, the people around them were giving him dirty, disgusted looks.

Ellen was nearly paralyzed by fear. His eyes bore deeply into her own, their noses almost touching. She could feel his disgustingly warm breath on her skin, the horrid smell of cigarettes and alcohol from his mouth, and his unoccupied hand feeling her body. She was weak, powerless, unable to fight back.

It was all like Cosimo all over again. But this time, Mana wasn't there to save her.

Road, Ninth Child, Apostle of Dreams, let out a curse.

It was not the first time she had cursed today, and neither would it be the last. Dark eyes searched around, looking for that Marian Cross. She had only taken her eyes off him for a minute, and what had he done? Not only had he escaped, he had actually managed to knock her out cold with that thrice-damned Grave of Maria (which made her heart ache, as it so remembered her of the Fo- no, Neah, he wasn't worthy of that title- Neah's ability). It had been enough to knock her unconscious for several, precious hours. Since it wasn't her true form, she wasn't harmed permanently, but it _hurt. _And it was so _humiliating. _

And now, she was stuck in the middle of the subhuman's idea of 'celebration'. She distastefully surveyed her surroundings. Didn't they have any sense of style? Ick. What gaudy decorations. When her family finally defeated those pathetic exorcists, she would torch this place personally. Such poor taste of color coordination and décor should be criminal! She would personally find those responsible and tear out their guts. Actually, that wasn't such a bad idea. The place would be _so_ much more _lovely _in red.

She snarled as the crowds kept getting in her way. Such pathetic creatures! So slow, so stupid, always following the herd mentality. She sniffed in disdain at the human skin she was wearing. It was so… fragile. Had she been in her true form, she could destroy this pathetic place in less than a second! There would be less pests and taints then, but Millennie had forbidden her from showing herself to anyone. Millennie had a plan, one she wasn't allowed to mess in.

The high pitched scream of a little girl caught her attention. For a Noah with enhanced senses like her, it was incredibly painful to her hearing. If she had been human, blood would be trickling from her ears right now but she- a jolt of pain ran through her eardrums and she felt something wet going down her cheek. Horrifiedly she touched her ear and stared as it came away covered with red.

Blood- but- I'm- how?

She looked around sharply, people were lying on the ground in pain and unconscious. It wasn't Innocence, that much she was sure. She would have sensed it immediately. But Innocence was the only thing that could harm one of the Clan of Noah. That was the source of their immortality. Neither mortal disease nor aging could kill a Noah. Even if they had gotten into an accident and, say, got their heads decapitated, as long as it wasn't caused by Innocence, it would heal in due time. There were limits, of course (she didn't really fancy regenerating from a scattered pile of ash…), but something like a ruptured eardrum would be healed in less than a second…

Something, a vague, repressed memory, flitted through her mind. Of Neah, the not-Fourteenth, and the one who had betrayed them all. Her heart ached at the memory. Neah had caught them all off guard. None of them had even expected anything at all. Neah was their golden boy, the cherished, beloved baby, youngest of the Clan. At the time, most of the Noahs had been quite old, one of them nearing three hundred. Road wasn't the youngest of their family, but she was hardly the eldest as well, at the comparatively young age of fifty three. Neah wasn't even twenty five. He had brought a lot of joy into their family, especially with his amazing musical talent. Oh, she loved Neah's songs so much, as did the rest of her family. In fact- she managed to pull out a memory forgotten, a memory she had purposefully made herself forget- it was when they had gathered in the Ark, on a special occasion to hear Neah playing, when Neah had killed them. She had tried to forget that painful memory, but there was a funny thing about memories, that when you tugged at one string, the entire ball would unravel.

She remembered now, even if she didn't want to. A chill ran down Road's spine as the memory returned to her. The Fourteenth had always been the wild card, exceedingly powerful even by their own standards, and never too closely affiliated with the Clan. While Neah hadn't fully awakened he had been strong enough to kill the entire Clan in one single strike, by a single melody that spelled death upon all that heared it. That was pure, undiluted Power.

And it seemed that little Ellen was following in her father's footsteps.

Almost absentmindedly, she focused her mind on healing her eardrums. She hissed at the pain it caused; living as a Noah for so long had nearly made her forget the sensation of pain and discomfort. The feeling of her eardrums healing themselves was _weird. _Ticklish, itchy, and uncomfortable at the same time. The feeling was gone in a moment and she hurried towards the source of the scream. What she saw made her stop in her tracks and skid to a halt.

Her little sister was a sobbing mess, trying fruitlessly to get out of Cross' hold. Road didn't know how on earth Cross managed to escape Ellen's scream unharmed. He was holding Ellen by the hair with one hand and the collar of her dress with another. He was saying something to her, but Road couldn't hear it, her ears weren't fully healed yet. That was a side effect of the Fourteenth's power; recovering from it took a long time even for Noahs. Ellen's skin had turned pale and she was shaking her head furiously, struggling to escape. Cross' lips thinned in a sneer and he motioned towards the gun on his hip. Judgment, his thrice-damned Innocence. The very sight of it made Road's blood boil in fury and Ellen turned even paler than before, if it was even possible.

_Destroy! Destroy the Innocence! Kill the one who dares to threaten one of our Kin! _Her inner Noah hissed at her and Road willingly obliged. She raised a hand as her special candles materialized, letting them fly towards Cross. He dropped Ellen and rolled aside to avoid the candles. Ellen fell on her knees and Road had to freeze the candles mid-flight to avoid injuring Ellen.

"So you're back, huh?" Cross sneered at her. Road realized that her hearing had returned back and smirked.

"Of course, Cross, did you miss me? Why did you run away? We had had _so _much fun!" she pouted. Cross blanched.

"Fucking psycopath. You bloody _tortured _me! Is that your idea of fun, bitch? No wonder that Walker brat offed your family, if they're all like you."

Road's eyes glinted darkly. "Watch your mouth, Cross. There's children around here," she chided. "I'd rather not have my sister learn such _vulgar _words."

"You mean this useless little girl?" Cross asked, kicking Ellen's side harshly. The girl was curled up in a ball, catatonic from reliving her worst memories. "You Noahs are so fucking obsessed, aren't you? What does this little _exorcist _mean to you anyway?" A cruel sneer crossed his face. "I bet she's not even the Heart."

Road's eyes flashed golden. "Aww, come on, Cross! You're such a cheater! This game is just between the two of us, you know? Don't bring her into this. That's not fair!" Road sighed and threw her arms into the air. "You know, Cross, you-" she ducked to avoid Judgment's bullet and casually caught it with her hand, "are really annoying. You know that? Geez, I didn't even say that the game's on, did I? Impatient, aren't you?" She sighed dramatically again and moved with inhuman speed towards Ellen's body. If it weren't for Cross' experience as an exorcist he would've never seen her move. She smirked at him. "Sorry, Cross, but I can't play right now! I can't have you harming the _next Fourteenth, _now can I?" With a strange gentleness she picked up Ellen from the ground, carrying her easily in her arms despite the fact that Ellen was almost as tall as she was, and disappeared into her Door. Marian Cross could only utter one word.

"Shit."

She was back at the circus again. The red-and-white stripped tents gave it away in a heartbeat. Mana was nowhere to be seen, but Allen was next to her feet yipping. She blinked and bent down to pat the no-longer-a-puppy dog. How she missed him…

Allen's yips turned into a low growl. She straightened up from patting him and froze at the sight of Cosimo walking towards them, a menacing scowl on his face.

"So _you're _that old upstart's daughter, eh?" he growled. Ellen took an uneasy step back. The man felt _weird_. And he smelt funny too, like smoke and alcohol and something else she couldn't quite put a finger on. The man took a step towards her. "Answer me, brat!" His fingers pinced Ellen's arm quite hardly.

"Y-yes," Ellen stammered out. His glare intensified.

"Tell your stupid father to stay away from my job," he hissed. "Otherwise I can't guarantee your safety. Or your dog's." To emphasize his words, he kicked Allen in the side roughly, inciting a pained squeal from the poor canine. He sneered as Ellen ran towards her dog to make sure that he was okay.

The scene blurred, and Ellen once again found herself at the circus. Only this time it was late at night and she was in her and Mana's trailer. Mana rose an eyebrow at the bruise on Allen's side.

"What happened, Ellen? Did one of your games with Allen go wrong?" he asked calmly, knowing fully well that it wasn't the case. Ellen was far too gentle to hurt Allen, even by accident.

"Tha' man… the old clown."

"Cosimo?"

"Uh-huh. He was angry. An' he kicked Allen." Ellen's hands balled into fists. "He's such a meanie! Allen didn' even hurt 'im. An' he kicked him!" Ellen was almost shouting.

"He didn't do anything to you, did you? Did he touch you in any way?" Mana asked concernedly. Ellen shook her head.

"Na-uh. He didn' touch me," she denied before rethinking her statement. "He just pinched me."

Alarm bells started sounding in Mana's brain. "Where? Let me see it!" he demanded. Ellen rolled up her sleeve to reveal a bruise on her left arm. It had turned yellow-green after several hours. Mana sighed in relief. "He didn't touch you anywhere else? Or hurt you anywhere?" Ellen shook her head, rather confused at Mana's questions. "Tell me if he does _anything _to you, alright? And I do mean anything. If he makes you feel uncomfortable, or does something to you that you don't like, then go straight away."

"Uh-huh. 'kay Mana," the young child happily obliged.

The scene blurred away again, and after it regained clarity Ellen found herself leaning against a pine tree. It was getting dark, and the performances had just started. Ellen decided not to participate even though she was getting quite good at the tightropes. She had tired herself out the last day and sprained her ankle. Nothing bad, just pain and stiffness, but she wouldn't be able to perform for a few days. She took out a couple of small rubber balls from her pocked and absentmindedly started juggling the objects.

"So here you are, you miserable wretch," a growl came from ahead of her. Ellen looked up and forgot to catch her balls, letting them fall to the ground. Cosimo was drunk, and very, very pissed. Ellen took a step back fearfully. She'd heard tales about Cosimo, about how cruel the man could be. He never treated his animals very well and everyone could see the scars and bruises on his wife. Ellen flinched away as Cosimo grabbed her shoulders and shook it roughly.

"I told you to tell your father to stay away from my job!" Spittle flew into Ellen's face as he roared angrily. His breath reeked unpleasantly of beer and tobacco.

"Why don't you just tell him yourself?" Ellen snapped, uncomfortable at how close his face was to hers. Wrong answer. Cosimo harshly slapped her face. The force knocked her off her feet and on the ground. He then grabbed her back up and pinned her against the very tree she had been leaning against.

"Stupid brat! Useless little wench!" he continued to rant about how useless and stupid Ellen was, and how Mana had taken his place as the circus' clown. As his temper tantrum grew worse, his hands squeezed her arms and caused his long unclipped fingernails to grip painfully into Ellen's flesh.

"Stop it! It hurts! You're hurting me! Let me _go, _you bastard!" she screamed in pain as his grip grew harder and harder. "Let. Me. Go!" The usually mild-mannered little girl lifted her leg, stomped on Cosimo's foot, and painfully elbowed him in the solar plexus. He bellowed in pain and fell back, letting go of his hold on Ellen. She quickly ran away, returned to her and Mana's trailer, and locked the door behind her twice. Only then she slumped on the floor, still breathing harshly.

After a few minutes she finally regained her strength and calmness, enough to stand up and limp towards the mirror. She winced at the dark bruise upon her cheek. Mana would see it and demand that she tell him what happened. And then he'd get angry and maybe he'd hurt Cosimo. She didn't want Mana to get in trouble because of her. Mana had been generous enough to take a street urchin like her into his household. God knew how hard it was to get a decent paying job, especially with her insatiable appetite. And Mana was incredibly protective of her. He'd probably try to retaliate, and then he'd get in trouble and then…

No, it wouldn't do. She'd have to hide it, somehow. Or heal it before Mana came back. She opened the drawer and took out a round container filled with green cream. She liberally applied it to the bruises on her face and arms. Cosimo's fingernails were long and sharp and they'd managed to puncture her skin. The cream stung, but it Ellen knew that it was doing its job. It was a very good bruise remover, one she used everytime she got hurt from pulling a stunt she wasn't ready for yet or when one of her clumsy spells acted up again. Mana would still see it, he would return in a few hours. And Ellen didn't know any healing spells yet. She could look it up, but learning new spells without assistance… well, it was very dangerous, to say the least. Ellen bit her lip, anxiety building up in her chest, and she started pacing around in circles, trying to alleviate her agitation.

She paused in her pacing as she heared the songs being played outside. If nothing else, music had always managed to sooth her feelings. It had some sort of stability that she could genuinely appreciate. Unconsciously, she started to hum the song under her breath, her eyes closed, and leaned against the wall.

She could feel a subtle thrumming in the air. Faint, very faint, but there. It followed an unknown rhythm, pulsing and beating to the lives of everyone in the world. Power surged to her, unbidden and uncontrolled. It rushed to her fingertips leaving an unfamiliar-but-I-still-recognize-it-somehow kind of tingle that made her toes curl and her body shiver. Almost dazedly, she touched the layer of green paste on her cheek and muttered softly,

"Heal."

Her surroundings once again began to fade away into monochrome.

The next time she met with Cosimo was during an autumn midmorning. It was a bright, beautiful day with clear blue skies, but the weather was already slightly chilly. She sat under an apple tree, hiding herself near the piles and piles of brown leaves. She liked autumn. It was an important part of Nature's cycle, or so Mana had told her. In autumn, the old leaves fall away to be replaced with new ones in the spring. Just like how people grew old and were replaced by their children. An endless cycle of destruction and rebirth.

She giggled lightly, throwing the leaves into the air. It made her feel childish, but she liked the scene of brown and golden leaves falling around her like rain. She didn't really mind the cold, but Allen apparently did. He was nowhere to be seen. What was it that Mana had told her again? Never go anywhere without Allen. Well, Ellen wasn't _going_ anywhere_. _She was just here, not even a hundred feet from the clearing their travelling circus had parked at. With another childish giggle she kicked the leaves into the air.

"Mmi- Chae- Michaela…"

Ellen nearly squeaked in surprise at the sudden intrusion. She spun around to see a certain foul tempered circus clown making his way towards her. Quite frankly, she was scared out of her wits. Cosimo was drunk beyond anything she'd seen before, his eyes bloodshot and clothes a dishevelled mess. His smell was absolutely horrendous too, a sickening mix of tobacco smoke, beer, sweat and, though at the time she didn't recognize it, sex and lust.

In other words, he was utterly repulsive and Ellen couldn't help but take a large step back. Her mouth watered, and not in a delicious-food-right-in-front-of-me way, but rather an oh-my-god-I-want-to-puke-hand-me-the-waste-basket kind of way[1]. Her stomach clenched with revulsion and she almost ended up emptying the contents of her stomach on Cosimo's shoe. Almost.

"Michaela… Is that you?" Cosimo asked, a strange expression on his face. Ellen shifted back uncomfortably at his odd gaze. Cosimo had to be drunk out of his mind if he mistook her for this 'Michaela' person, but he seemed almost… docile. Not furious or spiteful. She didn't try to run away, fearing that it would set him off. Cosimo took a step forwards towards her… and promptly tripped over his own feet. The man fell on top of her. Luckily Ellen had managed to angle her fall so as to not hurt her too badly.

But now she was trapped under the body of a drunk, violent, probably unconscious Cosimo.

**Well. This isn't going to end nicely, **a snide voice said in her head. She stiffened in alarm, but tried her best not to move much so as to not wake up Cosimo. Not that she liked his presence on top of her, mind you, she simply didn't feel like making him even more aggravated than he would've been.

_Who are you? _She asked sharply, but there was no answer. She sighed tiredly. She'd been hearing that voice for a long time. Ever since she woke up from the coma that had costed her memory. The voice didn't talk to her very often, though. Only around every other month.

Ellen bit her lip and tried to shift herself sideways, to get herself out from under Cosimo's body. He wasy _heavy, _despite him being thin and lanky. What on earth was he carrying around? Ellen growled under her breath and pushed Cosimo away from her. The man grumbled and wriggled around in his drunken sleep, causing Ellen to freeze in fear. He snuggled closely to her, wrapping his hands around her in a loose hug.

Gently, slowly, Ellen pried off those hands from her body. Once she did, she got up and ran away, not caring whether Cosimo was awake or not.

She hated drunk people.

Rough, callused hands pressed against her small body. They touched her everywhere, her chest, her thighs, her hips. Those hands were warm and firm, like Mana's, yet so different. Mana's touches made her feel safe and secure. Cosimo made her squirm and writhe in discomfort. There was something _wrong _with it. Mana _never _touched her in those places. Cosimo's touches were rough, uninvited, painful.

"Michaela…" she heard him moan drunkedly as his hands continued touching her. She felt so dirty. Tainted. Unclean. His hands explored places it shouldn't even know of, making her cheeks redden with fury and embarassment and terror. He straddled her hips and Ellen felt something between his legs harden with lust. The man bent down and pressed his chin against her cheek, the rough facial hair scratching her skin. His hands pulled at her long hair roughly.

"Stop it!" she managed to whimper. "Let go! Let go!" But Cosimo couldn't, or wouldn't hear her pleas. His fingers found their way to the back of her dress and started to take her clothes off. She panicked and fought with all of her might. The sound of ripping fabric echoed, making her struggle even more. A rough hand caught her legs and trailed up her thighs.

Ellen closed her eyes. She didn't want to remember anymore.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit."

Normally, Road wouldn't even think of using such crude language. She considered herself above such things. The Earl had taught her to act refined and lady-like. It was only sub-humans who had to resort to foul words to express their displeasure, Millennie had said to her one day, and Noahs were far superior to them. He had then proceeded to instruct her in the fine art of subtle insults and veiled lies.

But right now, Road didn't have any time for subtlety. She paced across the room in the Ark, occasionally stealing glances at the frighteningly still girl lying on the bed. When Road had seen that bastard Cross insult and mistreat her sister like that, she was so furious. It had taken all of her self control not to attack Cross, then and there. But she remembered Millennie's instructions to not harm any exorcists, not until at least half of their family had gathered. In her anger, she had revealed Ellen's identity and took her away to the only safe place she could think of at the moment; the Ark.

It had been almost five hours. And Ellen still wasn't showing any signs of waking up. In a show of incredibly uncharacteristic behaviour, Road bit her lip and wringed her hands in anxiety. Millennie would be here soon. And he would undoubtedly be very unhappy that she'd disobeyed her words. But she couldn't have just let that Cross bastard hurt her sister! She couldn't! The Noah inside her wouldn't have let anyone harm whom it considered kin. And Ellen, despite being the daughter of a traitor, was blood-kin.

**Adam will understand. He will. If he doesn't, we'll make him see how it was necessary, **her Noah told Road. **Adam cares for all of us. He is our Father. He might not like it, but he will understand.**

Yet Road wasn't so assured. Millennie had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that no one was to find out about Ellen's link to them. She didn't really like the idea of disobeying Millennie's direct order. Sure, she broke rules every now and then by going out in town and skipping school and stuff, but she never revealed herself. She was content with just vandalism or random akuma attacks. It was so fun watching the exorcists so panicked and confused by sudden attacks at places that didn't hold Innocence.

**She. Is. Kin. Adam will not let anyone hurt one of our kin. **

_She is not yet the Fourteenth, _Road reminded her idly, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. _She is an Exorcist, too. One with a very powerful Innocence_

Her Noah shrugged, as much as a being with no corporeal body could shrug. **It doesn't matter. She is a Walker by blood. A direct descendant of the original Fourteenth. Therefore, she is Kin. Being an Innocence bearer means nothing. Blood will always run true, no matter how hard she tries to deny it. **

**She is our Kin. Ours by blood, ours by destiny.**

**She is Kin. And that is all that matters.**

[1] Kinda like… the really uncomfortable feeling in your mouth when you get motion sickness and you're just about to puke your guts out. Saliva just sort of gathers in your mouth, making it feel really wet and icky. And then you vomit. Yuck.

…Kay. Sorry for taking so long. But I have a life out of writing fanfiction, too. There's this little plot bunny in my head that's been bothering me for a while. An original fiction one, though I haven't started really writing on it. Anyways. This chapter was really hard to right for some reason. Add the fact that I'm in my last year in high school, busy studying for finals (obviously not as hard as I should, if I have the time to write stories) and university entrance exams and stuff? Not good for my productivity. It was gonna be longer, but I decided that this was a good enough ending point.

Bad news: Probably not gonna put in a pairing in this story. Sorry! It's just… hard, you know? This story's just not suited for it.

Good news: I've gotten several ideas for side-stories and stuff, and I probably _can _put some romance in it. No promises, though. The stories in question won't be published until after this one ends, seeing as there'll be some spoilers for this story there. I mean the fact that the Millennium Earl is a- *clamps hand over mouth* you didn't read anything! Honest! That was a trick of light!

Side notes: I watched My Neighbour Totoro several weeks ago. The first thing that passed my mind during the flying scene with Mei and Satsuki was: Holy Spaghetti Ship, Totoro looks like the Millennium Earl! Like, seriously! Go google 'Totoro Umbrella Flying' (or something like that). The resemblance is… uncanny to say the least.


	4. Symphony: Mindscape

**She is our Kin. Ours by blood, ours by destiny.**

**She is Kin. And that is all that matters.**

_I know! _Road exclaimed both mentally and physically. She threw her arms into the air. _You think I don't care for her, Dreams? _she almost snarled. _I care for her as much as you do! I wouldn't have saved her if I didn't! But she isn't the Fourteenth. Not yet. There must be a reason why Millennie told us not to interfere in her life until she wakes, _Road reasoned.

**Well, you've got a dot, **Dreams admitted with a sniff. **Adam would have never let one of us suffer, not without good reason. And he always seem to have one plan or another up his shirt.**

_I think you meant 'got a point' and 'up his sleeve', _Road said, rolling her eyes at the malaproper. Dreams never got them right.

**It's not my fault! Language changes so quickly, I don't even recognize it from my Mothertongue. English is so confusing! **

Road deliberately ignored her protestations and sighed as she sat down on the bed by Ellen's feet. The younger girl was deathly pale, breathing in harsh, almost pained gasps. She looked so small and fragile, nearly disappearing under the thick blankets Road had covered her with. Road sighed and wiped her sweaty forehead with a damp cloth.

**She looks just like a doll! **Dreams gushed just like a fangirl, and Road winced. Honestly, their sister was comatose and her cuteness was all Dreams cared about?

And dolls. Why did it have to be dolls?

_A porcelain doll, sure. Or a mannequin. I'm certain that she'll be happy to be dressed up by us. Once she wakes up, that is. _Road glanced at her worriedly. _Any ideas about why she's not waking up? She's been like this for hours!_

**Oh, but that's an easy question, my Host. She's dreaming. Reliving her memories. Stuck there until she finds her way out. And she'll come out all the stronger because of it, I'm sure. She's our fourteenth, after all. The strongest of us all.**

Host. My Host. Those words made Road feel uncomfortable. She felt like gold in a clay pot. She was just the container for something that was much, much greater than herself.

**Don't be stupid! You're a part of me, just as I am a part of you. Together, we are a whole. You, one of Noah's blessed children. Me, the summation of the minds of those whose footprints you follow. We are, together, the one hundred and eighth incarnation of the Ninth Apostle, the Noah of Dreams.**

Road didn't even bother to correct Dreams' malaproper. She felt her heart warm at Dreams' proclamation, but there was something that also bothered her.

_Dreams. Is there any way we could, you know, help Ellen? Help her get out of those memories, _she tentatively questioned.

Dreams giggled childishly, which made Road feel like something bad was coming. Either that, or she'd missed something obvious. Or both.

**You're so silly, my dearest Host. What do you think we are?**

Right. Noah of Dreams. And Ellen was sleeping, or at least unconscious. That would mean that she was in her domain. It would be child's play for Road to enter Ellen's mind and help her out. Although…

_Millennie's not going to be happy with this, though._

**Why not?**

_She is our family. Using our power, on our own family, is a bad idea. I don't know if we should do this…_

**Oh, come on. We're trying to help her. Not hurt her. Besides, you said it yourself. She isn't the Fourteenth, not yet. Do it!**

_Okay, okay, I'll do it!_

**Yay! I know you'd agree with me! **Dreams said happily. **Oh, and Road?**

Yes?

**Be careful. Please…**

* * *

><p>The first thing Road saw after entering Ellen's mind was the sky.<p>

She found herself lying on her back, on the ground. She could feel the grass beneath her and the soft whispers of the wind caressing her body. Her nose caught the smell of earth and water and trees and rain. The sky was the color of twilight, a peculiar mix of black, purple, red, and orange. There were moons in the sky- wait, _moons?_

Moons. Road blinked and looked at the sky again. There were, indeed, two moons in the sky, side-by-side. One was a full moon, colored eerily green. The other was a crescent moon that looked like it was made of the finest gold and platinum. She slowly sat up and looked around bewilderedly.

She was in a forest clearing, she realized. A moderately sized one. The grass was tall and unkempt, almost reaching her knees. There was a strange… building, in the middle of the clearing. It looked like someone had taken the pictures of various buildings from various eras, cut them into jigsaw pieces, and put them together with his eyes closed. Some parts of it looked like it was taken from a Greek god's temple (specifically the Parthenon). Others looked like it was made from wood and bamboo. It was an absolute mess, an architect's nighmare, and it looked like it would topple over at the slightest breeze.

In other words, Road loved it. Fascinatedly she got up and walked towards the building. It was strange and it was bizarre, but it was also very attractive and stylish, in an eccentric, weird sort of way. She halted when she saw the body of water that surrounded the building. The water made her extremely ill at ease. It was dark, deep, and unreflecting. She couldn't see her face under the light of two moons. Road picked up a stick from the ground and made to prod the water's surface with it.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," a voice rang out from behind her, startling her so much that she almost toppled over into the water head-first. "But you're certainly welcome to go ahead and try- I'm curious to see what would happen."

The speaker was a young girl, not looking a day over eight. She sat upon the branch of a tree and was watching Road with a keen expression on her face. She looked like a younger version of Ellen Walker with snowy white hair and intense, silver eyes that could cut diamonds. A black cloak flowed around her slim body like liquid darkness. It absorbed all light and reflected none, obscuring and occluding her from sight. Silver chains wrapped themselves around her arms and her torso, deceptively delicate-looking but strong, criss-crossing and intertwining at so many places that Road couldn't figure out where it began and ended. They jingled as she jumped off the tree branch and walked towards Road.

"Who are you?" Road demanded at the girl. "And how did you get here?" This was Ellen's mind. There wasn't supposed to be anyone here.

The girl snorted, which made Road jolt with unease. Such an unfamiliar gesture, on such a familiar place. It was so wrong.

"Funny. I should be the one to ask that question," she said, arms crossed on her chest. "You're not supposed to be here," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Answer my question!" Road demanded angrily. The girl shrugged.

"Why should I? You're the intruder here, after all." Her voice was cold, mocking. Road hated it. Without thinking (in hindsight, she was being very reckless and stupid) she raised her hand and tried to summon her candles. Keyword: tried.

The power in her body surged to life and flowed to her fingertips before it flickered and just died, like a snuffed-out candle. Road stared at her hand in disbelief and tried once more. Just as it did before, it failed. With a jolt and building horror, Road realized that Dreams' constant presence in her mind had inexplicably vanished, and so had her Noah powers. She was no more powerful than a sub-human right now, and it terrified her. She felt so weak and fragile. Empty. Powerless. Useless.

The girl stepped closer towards her, arms still crossed on her chest. "Well? Are you just going to sit there kneeling, or are you going to talk to me? I'm not going to be here forever, you know."

Road realized that she had fell to her knees in shock. The fear she had felt evaporated at the Ellen lookalike's words and tone of voice. It was replaced by anger. Her mind decided that te other girl was responsible, somehow, for her current predicament and she lashed out at her in her fury.

"What. Did. You. Do?" she hissed in anger, getting up on her feet.

"Me?" the doppelganger asked. "I didn't do anything." Her tone was innocent and blank. Road didn't buy her words for a second.

"You! You must be responsible for this! Answer me! What did you do to my power?" she screamed in rage and leaped at the doppelganger. A small part of her mind realized that her speed and reflexes were back to human levels as well. This only made her even more angry.

Ellen-clone dodged Road with insulting ease. "Me? Do something to you? I have no idea what you're talking about!" she snapped angrily. This girl had trod into _her _domain and asked stupid questions and then had the nerve to attack her without prior warning? She had to be crazy!

"Don't lie to me!" Road screamed in fury and threw herself at her. They both fell to the ground in a confusing tangle of limbs. The clone's face turned a shade of scarlet and she let out several very… interesting words that would make a sailor jealous. They were locked into a stalemate for several minutes, neither of them gaining advantage over the other. As much as she hated to admit it, Road was not very powerful, physically, when it came to Noah standards. And as a human, she had been a scrawny little thing without any kind of physical training. Slowly she started to tire out, while the clone remained as energetic as ever.

Finally the clone managed to tip the scales in her favor. With a quick move she threatened to jab her fingers into Road's eyesockets. While Road had turned her face away fast enough to avoid danger, it made it too late for her to see the sharp elbow that rammed itself into the spot just beneath her sternum. With Road preoccupied on other thing such as for instance, the pain that made it incredibly hard for her to breath, the clone was able to pin her to the ground and sit, none too gently, on her stomach.

"Now," she growled, irritation in her voice, "can we have a nice, civilized discussion?"

Road glowered at her, but also realized that she was in no position to protest. The feeling of ire and indignance entered her mind at the idea of being defeated by a mere, eight year old. But there wasn't any other way, was there?

"Let me go first," she growled. The clone gave her an incredulous look.

"And let you get away and attack me? Never. You will answer my questions in this very position. I won't let go until I'm satisfied."

"Well, then, I'm not going to talk to you," Road stubbornly declared.

"You already are talking to me," Ellen said unamusedly. "But that's alright. I have all the time in the world to hold you here."

Something in Road's stomach sunk, and it wasn't the clone's weight. "What, don't you need to eat or something?" she asked. A puzzled look passed the clone's face, but it was quickly hidden.

"Eat? Oh no, _I _don't need to eat. I've never had to." She gave Road a pointed look. "But I'm pretty sure that _you_ do."

Well, damn. She didn't really have time at her disposal right now. Her body, in the real world, was probably in a comatose state. She had to help Ellen and get out of this place as soon as she could.

"_Fine,_" she growled at the not-Ellen. "A deal, then. We take turns asking questions. One for me, one for you."

Not-Ellen tilted her head sideways, considering the offer. "That sounds acceptable. I'll go first. Name?"

She gritted her teeth. "Road. And before you ask, yes, that is my birthname. I renounced my last name long ago. Yours?"

Not-Ellen tilted her head sideways, again. "Ellen calls me Leah," she said slowly, "but I never had a name before." After this question, Leah tapped her chin thoughtfully, thinking of a question. "How did you come here?" she asked.

"It's something I was born with. Entering people's mind, I mean," Road answered. It wasn't a lie. She _was _born as the Noah of Dreams. "How did _you _get here?"

"I don't know myself," Leah shrugged. "I've always been here; since I could ever remember. I woke up here one day. That's all I know." Then she looked at Road. "Why are you here?" she asked suspiciously.

Road stopped herself from biting her lip and showing her anxiety. "I don't know. I just… I just came here. I don't really have any control over it.

Leah narrowed her eyes. "Good try, but I know you're lying. Tell me the truth," she hissed darkly.

"I am telling the truth!"

"_Lies." _Pale fingers slipped under Road's chin and tightened around her neck. Leah tilted her head sideways (again! When would she ever stop doing that? She was plenty creepy enough, and Road didn't like the way Leah examined her like a particularly fascinating bug) and purred, "you know, it would be _so _easy for me to just," here she tightened her grasp cutting off Road's air supply, "slip and break your neck, eh? What do you think, little doll?" Leah started to ramble. "You're dressed up, just like a doll, do you know that? A pretty little doll, so that's what I shall call you. But dolls can be broken too, you know? So, so easy." She hummed softly to herself for a moment before continuing, "and you know what happens to broken dolls, right?" Leah bent over and whispered into Road's ears. "They're thrown away. After all, dolls are only to be looked at. What use is a broken doll?"

"I'm not lying!" Road insisted. Wrong answer. Leah's fingers squeezed around her neck and pulled her up a few centimeters from the ground. Road could see the spots dancing in her field of vision.

"I don't like being lied to," Leah whispered in an eerily calm voice. "You will tell me the truth, even if I have to choke the answer out of you. You'll do it, won't you, Doll? Answer me, truthfully now." She dropped her hold and Road's head fell back with a dull thud. Her throat ached liked nothing ever had, causing pain with every gasp of breath. For a moment Road felt like someone had rubbed the inside of her throat with sandpaper. It hurt that much. It took several minutes until she could speak.

"I'm just trying to help!" she finally said. She tried to sound indignant but her hoarse tone made it sound more like a rasp. "That _bastard _probably did something do her, no matter what I do, she's not waking up."

She never saw it coming. The next thing she realized, her head was throbbing and she was upright, pinned against a tree. Leah held the front of her dress with both hands, her eyes a blazing, mesmerizing silver.

"_What?" _she hissed, furiously. "Say that again?"

Road tried not to gulp. "She's unconscious. In a coma. She wasn't waking up, so I tried to take a peek here and see what's wrong so…" Road took a deep breath. Ooh, that hurt. Bitch. "I ended up here. Usually whenever I'm in someone else's mind I could do… things but here…" she trailed off, not quite sure what to say. She wasn't lying, but she sure as hell wasn't about to tell the whole truth. That was something Millennie had drilled into her head, multiple times.

The best lies are those with a grain of truth in them, after all. There was no need to tell this… being, that she was a Noah. Oh, that would be just stupid.

Leah's eyes were still filled with anger and suspicion. Her fingers tightened around the front of Road's dress. "_How?" _she hissed, her voice as chillier than winter wind. It made the hair at the back of Road's neck stand up. Scary girl.

"Cross Marian. Maybe you know him. Smoker, womanizer extraordinaire, and all around jerk." Road personally thought those words quite adequately summed him up.

"Ah, yes. The red haired bastard." Leah's voice was calm. Deceptively calm. Road inched away from what seemed to be an imminent eruption of Mount Leah. "How- what happened?"

Ah. She had to be careful with her answer here, now. "Not quite sure," Road carelessly shrugged. Her throat had healed up. Huh. "I just- I just found her there with him. Knowing him, he wasn't up to any good, so I took her away."

Leah tilted her head sideways, nothing but genuine confusion and curiosity in her eyes. "Why?" she asked in a puzzled tone. " Why did you help Ellen? You could've just left her there alone, you know. You don't even know Ellen, do you?"

"I have… a personal vendetta against him. Cross Marian, I mean. He did something unforgivable, and I was chasing him down. I found him trying to take her away. I figured that this girl… Ellen, did you say? Would know something about him," Road explained, carefully pretending that it was nothing more than a chance encounter. "Besides, I could see that he'd hurt her. And he'd hurt me too, so… I just wanted to help."

A frown crossed Leah's features, her delicate eyebrows meeting together and her lips thinning into a line. She held that expression for a moment before finally nodding, more to herself than to Road.

"Okay. You'll do, I guess," she said. She grabbed Road's shoulder with two firm hands and looked into her eyes. "I'm only telling you this once, Doll, so you'd better listen carefully. I'll show you where Dummy's hiding. I'll even let you use whatever powers you have at your disposal. But you have to get her out of whatever hidey-hole she's stuck herself in. Is that an acceptable trade?" she asked. Road, surprised at the sudden change in Leah's attitude, could only stare for a moment. "Well? Answer my question, Doll!"

Road quickly regained her bearings and glared indignantly at Leah. "Answer my questions first. And don't call me a doll!"

Leah shrugged carelessly. "I guess that's acceptable. And I'll call you whatever I feel like. That a problem, Doll?"

"Yes it is! I'm not a doll!"

"You're dressed like one. Come back to me not wearing that pristine frilly dress of yours and I _might_ reconsider_, sweetheart_," Leah told her with emphasis on the last few words. She said 'sweetheart' in a voice that screamed 'I'm-a-bag-of-instant-diabetes', which made Road feel vaguely nauseous. "Now. Questions. We don't have all day here."

Road quickly organized her thoughts and considered what she would ask Leah about. She settled for the biggest one.

"What are you?" she asked piercingly. Leah, again, only shrugged. That gesture was quickly getting on Road's nerves.

"Not really sure. So far as I can tell, I'm a part of Ellen. A fragment of her mind, perhaps. Which has its own personality and sense of self. Well, doesn't that goes to show how screwed up we are? Here we are, two 'people', one who shouldn't even exist, talking to each other in another person's mindscape." Leah let out a small laugh. "Well, I'm a part of Ellen. And this," she gestured to her surroundings, "is her mindscape. One's mind is their absolute Domain, a place where they are God. I'm pretty sure that you know this already, pretty little Doll, if you're so experienced with entering people's mind. So everything that I say, goes. Pretty useful, when you want to wrestle someone to the ground, or when you want to know whether they're lying or not. I just didn't expect you to have… what did you call it? Ah yes, 'powers'. I didn't expect that you would be unable to use your powers." Seeing the look Road shot her Leah hastily added, "Honestly, I didn't! I've never met someone here before, so how was I supposed to know? Though it makes sense, since this is my Domain after all. Only that which I allow happens here."

Tawny golden eyes narrowed at Leah. "What were you talking about, before? Ellen- hiding? And I have to drag her out?"

"Exactly what I said, Little Doll." Without any prior warning (which Road was really getting tired of, really) the petite little girl grabbed the collar of Road's dress and dragged her away. Road spluttered and protested, but Leah was freakishly strong for such a wee little thing. They stopped in front of a small well with rounded stone walls and an empty bucket next to it. Road glanced inside; the water was so far and deep away and the way it reflected the sky made her kind of dizzy. She gasped as Leah held her, suspended just above the mouth of the well. If Leah were to let go of her hand, then she would fall down.

"What do you think you're doing?" Road hissed furiously. Leah wasn't impressed.

"Look here, Doll. This is the portal to Ellen's memories, to where she's hiding herself in," Leah told her. " If I could, I'd gladly dive in myself but…" she shrugged carelessly. "Don't worry, you'll know what to do when you're there. Just make sure that Ellen makes it through intact."

"You can't do this to me! You haven't even explained anything to me! What do you even expect me to _do?" _

"As I said, it's not even the hardest thing on earth! Not even close! You'll know what to do. Your objective is simple, keep Ellen safe and whole. Guide her to her safe-place. I'm sure you can do it. You can't fail. You won't." Leah's voice was getting more and more desperate. "We don't have much time more, Doll! You must find Ellen as soon as you can!"

"And if I can't?" Road asked. As soon as she did, she felt her stomach drop. Literally as Leah let go and allowed Road to fall back in to the well.

"Neither of you will wake up! Good luck, Doll! You'll need it!"

* * *

><p><em>It's dark. <em>That was the first thing Road could think of. It was warm, but not unpleasantly so. Her surroundings was filled with a thick liquid that seemed to envelope her in a gentle hug, like she had taken a trip back to her time in her mother's womb.

It felt safe, and Road couldn't even laugh at the irony she felt. Her mother, her nutjob, delusional mother. Around her own mother, Road could never feel safe. But here…

Road opened her eyes. She was floating in a dark, endless sea of nothingness. She couldn't see anything beyond it. Or perhaps, 'see' wasn't quite the right word. She was just an abstract, formless being, floating in the vast sea that was Ellen's soul.

Road didn't know how long she remained there, aimlessly floating about. Her eyes were both opened and closed at the same time, as oxymoronic as it sounded. For a fleeting instance, she knew. Knew everything and nothing, a being so supreme that it was beyond the imagine of man. What knowledge she, as the apostle of Dreams, had collected in many, many lifetimes, was but a speck of insignificant dust. She was aware, of everything that happened on earth, the soft pitter-patter of human feet as they made their way across Gaea's surface, the rustling of wind that caressed Her lands both gentle and harsh at the same time, and the subtle, undeniable harmony as the planet continues Her never-ending journey across the space.

Yet as Road tried to delve deeper into Gaea, into Her awareness and slumbering, silent intellect, something tugged back at her. She could not, no matter how hard she tried, enter deeper into Mother Earth. Something was holding back, constraining her and keeping her from joining the Earth's consciousness.

Road wasn't very happy. She struggled and struggled against the bonds that held her back. It felt like swimming in a sea of molasses with rocks in her pockets. The thick and sluggish water held her from going forward, and the weight was pulling her down. No matter how hard she tried, she _just couldn't be free. _Abruptly, she realized that, slowly but surely, she was sinking. Drowning.

Road barely had a moment to register the shock and horror before the water drained away like someone had pulled the bathtub plug. Down and down she went with the water, spiralling and sinking and spiralling and…

Her eyes jerked open. She wasn't in the sea of Ellen's soul, not anymore. The 'water' had a distinctly cooler and colder feel to it. It was also somewhat brighter. Road twisted around to find herself whole and complete… mostly. She wasn't wearing any clothing, and her body had regressed to that of a young child. The same age she had awakened into her heritage as one of Noah's blessed children. It was a bit strange, considering that she wasn't even actually _in _a body right now, this was just her consciousness in Ellen's…

Road looked around, trying to find something that would clue her in to what Leah had talked about. The more she thought of it, the more she was sure that Leah was insane. The place was empty sans for herself and… bubbles?

Bubbles. She was surrounded by countless bubbles, all of varying colors and sizes. Some were a delicate string of silver and gold. Some were three feet in diameter and black in color.

Interesting. Road quickly found that she could swim around, albeit in a limited manner. It felt a bit like walking underwater, heavy and took more energy than walking in air, but doable. Road raised a finger and curiously poked a bubble with her finger. It was a small little thing, shiny pink and the size of a pearl.

In hindsight, that was _not _a good idea.

The bubble in question grew, larger and larger, to the point that it was almost five feet across. Images skittered on its surface, far too faint and fast-moving for Road to make sense of. She could only stare. And then…

It was like the metaphorical Big Bang. Except, not quite like that. It wasn't the start of a universe, nor did it happen in empty space. Regardless, from an outside perspective, that was how it looked like.

The bubble grew. Grew, and grew, and grew, and grew with ever-increasing speed. Road's 'eyes' (because as a metaphysical concept inside another person's mind, Road didn't really have eyes or even a body to begin with) went wide as she moved her limbs around in a frantic windmill-like motion, swimming away from the expanding bubble. It stopped growing for a split second, and then…

It burst, not unlike the way a popped soap bubble did. And all the hell broke loose.

* * *

><p>AN: Eeep! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so, so tardy. It just… passed my mind, you know? I actually had written big chunks of this before posting the previous chapter, but then my muse decided to change her job and make me write original fiction. Stupid, stupid muse. I don't even like vampires! Oh well, at least my mind's gotten on track now.<p>

This chapter, we saw Leah's physical representation. Not really much different from Ellen. And yes, she's quite a bit on the creepy side of things. She's meant to be like that. Everything in the Ellen and Leah's shared mindscape? It's symbolic, sort of. I'll get to it later. Dream's malapropers are because she's 'lived' for so long, learning so many languages, that it's gotten rather mucked-up in her mind. Living a hundred and eight lifetimes, most of them which are longer than average, does that to you.

Anyway, please tell me what you think about it. Reviews would be awesomesauce


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